Spina [hot] Link

: A rarer type where a sac of fluid (meninges) pokes through an opening in the baby's back, but the spinal cord itself is not in the sac.

: The most common and mildest form. It involves a small gap in one or more vertebrae but the spinal cord and nerves are usually normal. It is often "hidden" under the skin and may only be marked by a dimple, hairy patch, or birthmark. : A rarer type where a sac of

There is no cure, but interventions improve quality of life. It is often "hidden" under the skin and

The human spine is a marvel of engineering—a flexible column of stacked bones protecting the delicate superhighway of the spinal cord. But in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, as a fetus races to assemble the architecture of a human body, sometimes the blueprint goes awry. But in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, as

The result is , a condition whose name literally translates from Latin as "split spine." It is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States, yet it remains widely misunderstood by the general public.

Symptoms vary by type and location of the lesion:

While the exact cause is often a mix of genetic and environmental factors, nutritional deficiencies play a major role.