Causes & Risk Factors Of Spina Bifida

Family History Of Spina Bifida

Like many other congenital conditions, there does seem to be a genetic factor in spina bifida. If a woman was born with a neural tube defect, she is more likely to have a child born with spina bifida. Even if the mother and father are both perfectly healthy, their risk of having a child with spina bifida increases if they already have one or more children with the condition. The majority of spina bifida cases, however, are not due to an inherited genetic condition, so this is not something the average parent needs to worry about, but families who do already have a history of spina bifida may benefit from genetic counseling and extra care during childbirth. It can be tricky because patients with mild spina bifida might not be aware they have the condition, but it still increases their chance of passing it to a child. Getting spina bifida due to family history is typically not preventable in any way.

Continue reading to learn about more of the causes and risk factors of spina bifida.