MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Spina bifida (degrees of severity)

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Spina bifida (degrees of severity)

Spina bifida is a congenital disorder (birth defect) in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. In severe cases, this can result in the spinal cord and its covering membranes protruding out of an affected infant's back. Spina bifida may also be nearly inconsequential, or may be repairable through surgery.

Update Date: 12/6/2006

Updated by: Ian Marshall, MD, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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