Skip Navigation

Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment

Fetal Discussion Forum

Talk with other families about fetal diagnoses.

Spina Bifida -- Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS)

About spina bifida and myelomeningocele

Spina bifida is a birth defect in which the developing spinal cord (neural tube) and vertebrae do not close completely. In myelomeningocele, the most common and serious form of spina bifida, part of the spinal cord pushes through the open vertebrae and protrudes through the baby's back in an exposed sac.

Impairment varies by the location of the defect; defects that occur high on the spine may cause bladder and bowel problems, loss of sensation, club feet, and hydrocephalus (build up of fluid in the brain), while defects that occur lower on the spine cause milder impairment.

Seeking the best spina bifida treatment -- the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS)

The Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) is a national clinical trial comparing two treatment approaches to spina bifida -- prenatal surgical repair versus postnatal surgical repair, the current standard of care. The study plans to enroll 200 pregnant women carrying fetuses diagnosed with myelomeningocele.

Study locations

Clinical services for study participants are offered at two centers:

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
University of California at San Francisco

Free DVD about the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS)

A free DVD about the Management of Myelomeningocele Study is available to patients and physicians who may be considering participation in the study. It features an overview of the study and the patient experience by members of the MOMS steering committee and clinicians in the participating centers.