Articles
Optimizing Health Care for Adults with Spina Bifida
Spina bifida patients are surviving well into adulthood, and challenges to find documented studies of their conditions have arisen. Dr. Thomas S. Webb’s article provides a review of the medical issues of adults with SB.
From Transitions Challenges to Successes
Researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama conducted a study to evaluate how patients were transitioned from pediatric and adolescent care to adult care.
Improvement of Communication and Coordination in the Spina Bifida Program at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Healthcare providers at the Spina Bifida (SB) Program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW) established a project to improve communication and care at their facility.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Children with Spina Bifida
Vitamin D deficiency is common in children. However, children with spina bifida (SB) may have unique predisposing factors to Vitamin D deficiency such as immobility leading to decreased sun exposure, dietary limitations, and chronic kidney disease.
Surgery Establishes Penile Sensation in Men with Spina Bifida
A procedure to establish feeling in the penis for men with spina bifida was performed for the first time in the United States in Seattle.
Myelomeningocele: Comparison of Urologic, Orthopedic, and Neurologic Outcomes in those with and without Tethered Cord Syndrome
In this retrospective study, researchers at the Mayo Clinic and Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare aim to evaluate and describe the urologic function, urologic procedures, orthopedic procedures, and shunt dysfunction in individuals with repaired myelomeningocele who underwent spinal cord detethering.
Association between Depression and Alcohol Use among Young Individuals with Spina Bifida in Arkansas: A Population-based Cross-sectional Study
Studies on adolescents have reported that anxiety and depressive disorders are associated with risky health behaviors such as substance use.
Transition to Adult Health Care: Factors Related to the Perception of Health Competency in Young Adults with Spina Bifida
A parallel research project was conducted to evaluate the program and the experiences of young adults with spina bifida (YASB) during the transition by researchers from the University of Wisconsin and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
In Utero Repair of Myelomeningocele Does Not Improve Lower Urinary Tract Function
Doctors at Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital Boston compared lower urinary tract (LUT) function of these 10 children to 10 matched patients who underwent PNR during the same period.
The Impact of Tibial Torsion and AFO’s on Transverse Plane Knee Motion in Children with Lumbrosacral Myelomeningocele
Jeffrey Thomson, MD, and Sylvia Ounpuu, MSC studied the impact of abnormal tibial torsion and AFO’s on transverse plane knee rotation during gait in children with myelomeningocele (MM).
Stemming the Flow: Using Stem Cells To Treat Urinary Bladder Dysfunction
Current treatments for neurogenic bladder involve surgeries which reconstruct and increase the size of the bladder by using tissue patches obtained from the bowel of the patient. Researchers have been searching for newer safe patches.
Bowel Management
The Colorectal Center’s Bowel Management Program at Cincinnati Children’s helps patients who are unable to anticipate or control their bowel activity to improve their quality of life.