Where to Start When You Learn Your Unborn Baby Has Spina Bifida
Published on in CHOP News
Published on in CHOP News
Getting a spina bifida diagnosis during pregnancy — or finding out anything is wrong with your baby — can be devastating. It can feel like everything, all your hopes and dreams for your child, have been turned upside down. It’s scary, saddening and frustrating. It's likely you're facing decisions you never imagined you’d face, and it's normal to be unsure of where to turn for help.
This article can help you wade through questions and concerns you may have and provide guidance on where to go from here.
There may be more to the diagnosis than your doctor initially presented to you. An experienced team at a specialized fetal diagnosis and treatment center can add greater precision to the diagnosis, determine the severity of the condition, and offer a range of treatment options, including prenatal treatment. Fetal surgery for myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida, is shown to offer significantly better results than traditional repair after birth.
Things you should look for in a fetal treatment center:
“Babies with special needs require very specialized and experienced care, both before and after birth — and so do their mothers," says Julie S. Moldenhauer, MD, maternal-fetal medicine/reproductive genetics specialist, Medical Director of the Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit, and Director of Obstetrical Services in the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, when speaking about fetal surgery performed on a spina bifida patient named Miah in 2017.
You’ll know you’ve found a treatment center you can rely on from the first phone call. The fetal therapy nurse coordinator who takes your call should explain spina bifida from head to toe, and give you an overview of exactly what to expect on the day of your evaluation. The coordinator can help with things from travel to insurance.
They can also connect you to other families facing similar choices at the same time, as well as families who have been through the center, and may have an older child, even a teenager. You shouldn’t feel rushed into anything. After the call, you should feel comforted and informed.
“A lot of moms say, ‘I don’t even know where to start,’” says Lori Howell, DNP, MS, RN, Executive Director of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment. “We say, ‘You’ve already started. We’re going to help you through everything else.’”
Choosing a hospital with the right fetal treatment center is an important start. Children born with spina bifida require lifelong follow-up care from a multidisciplinary team. Make sure the hospital you choose for your fetal care has the resources to care for your child immediately after birth and well beyond, and that they collaborate with your local spina bifida programs.
The experts at the fetal center you choose are the best source for this information. If you’re searching for information online, stick with reliable sources, like hospital websites, March of Dimes and Spina Bifida Association.
Questions to ask when your baby is diagnosed with spina bifida:
See a full list of questions to ask when choosing a fetal treatment center. At the end of your evaluation, you should know the functional level of lesion, the potential outcome based on that level, and if you and your baby are candidates for fetal surgery.
Children born with spina bifida may have some obstacles, especially in regard to walking and urinary/bowel issues, but overall, they will be more like other kids than they will be different. Many can walk — with or without assistance — run and jump, participate in sports, go to college, marry and have children.