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UrduAnnouncement of contents of the August 2024 issue of Neurosurgical Focus
Tag: Spina Bifida
Hispanic Women Still at Higher Risk for Births with Neural Tube Defects After Voluntary Folic Acid Fortification of Corn Masa Flour
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated folic acid fortification of all enriched cereal grains in 1996, and this regulation resulted in a reduction of neural tube defect (NTD)–affected pregnancies for the population in the United States.
Wheelchair basketball player holds court with U-M men’s team
As the days got closer, 10-year-old Matthew Ward grew increasingly excited to interview the University of Michigan Men’s Basketball team. He was elated at the chance to be able to talk to his favorite Wolverines one on one.
Second patient to receive a first-of-its-kind surgery
Michelle and Jeff were excited to build their new family together, but when she received the distressing news that her developing baby was diagnosed with spina bifida, she looked for the best treatment. She was referred to the world’s first stem cell clinical trial.
FDA approves UTHealth Houston expansion of unique in utero spina bifida repair study using an umbilical cord patch
Three families in three different states all share one thing in common – their children were diagnosed with spina bifida in utero.
Through their journey to find help, the families were referred to Ramesha Papanna, MD, a maternal-fetal surgeon with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, where they enrolled in a one-of-a-kind fetoscopic spina bifida study using cryopreserved umbilical cord.
Fetal intervention research team studies new regenerative patch as treatment for spina bifida
A fetal intervention team led by Ramesha Papanna, MD, MPH, of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) has received a $3.2 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for preclinical research on a new approach to repair spina bifida in utero.
Fetal Surgery for Spina Bifida Leads to Better Mobility in School-Age Children
Adding to a growing body of research affirming the benefits of fetal surgery for spina bifida, new findings show prenatal repair of the spinal column confers physical gains that extend into childhood. The researchers found that children who had undergone fetal surgery for myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida, were more likely than those who received postnatal repair to walk independently, go up and down stairs, and perform self-care tasks like using a fork, washing hands and brushing teeth. They also had stronger leg muscles and walked faster than children who had their spina bifida surgery after birth.
New Grant Seeks to Fill Knowledge Gaps Regarding Spina Bifida
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine have been awarded a five-year, $8.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the causes of spina bifida, the most common structural defect of the central nervous system.
Benefits of Fetal Surgery for Spina Bifida Persist in School-Age Children
In a follow-up to the landmark 2011 study that demonstrated prenatal surgery for spina bifida has measurable benefits over surgery after birth for one of the most disabling neural tube defects, researchers have published new findings. These findings show significant physical and emotional benefits a decade later in school-age children who received corrective surgery in the womb for myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida.
Initiating Breastfeeding in Vulnerable Infants
The benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child are well-recognized, including for late preterm infants (LPI). But because LPI do not have fully developed brains, they may experience difficulties latching and/or sustaining a latch on the breast to have milk transfer occur. This means that these infants are at high risk for formula supplementation and/or discontinuation of breastfeeding.