A Review of the Importance of Sonography’s Role in Its Detection

Spina bifida is a serious birth defect that in-volves an incomplete closure of the spine, spinal cord, brain, and/or protective covering of the fe-tal spine. Even though the causes of spina bifida are still uncertain, diabetes, obesity, severe hyperthermia in early pregnancies, and poor nu-trition are believed to be causes of neural tube defects (NTDs). Because spina bifida may go undetected by α-fetoprotein screening and am-niocentesis, sonography becomes a valuable tool in its identification. Spina bifida can also affect the fetal brain, so sonography is important in de-tecting any abnormal fetal head signs associated with Arnold-Chiari (type II) malformation. Sur-gical planning is another important part of sonography’s role when detecting NTDs. Al-though still in experimental stages, in utero re-pair has proven beneficial in some cases of spina bifida after careful sonographic assessment as part of the treatment considerations. Key words: neural-tube defects, sonography, spina bifida, spina bifida occulta, spina bifid