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Symptoms vary with the type of Spina Bifida and its severity. The forms of Spina Bifida are Meningocoele, Myelomeningocele and Occulta.
Milder forms of this condition, including the mild forms of meningocoele, (sometimes described as tethered spinal cord) usually appear in early childhood.
Symptoms can include:
- Mobility problems
- Bowel and bladder dysfunction
Myelomeningocele may cause the legs to be paralysed or lose all sensation. In the worst cases, all of the lower body can be paralysed and the patient may become incontinent, this can sometimes lead to further problems such as UTIs.
Spina Bifida Occulta is common and may cause no problems except for some bladder dysfunction. It may begin in childhood, teenage years or adult life.
These include:
- a tuft of hair over the defect
- a fatty growth under the skin in the area
- a narrow channel running inwards from the surface (known as a sinus).
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