Open spina bifida (OSB ... can be assessed for abnormalities during ultrasound examinations. Neural Tube Defect: A birth defect that occurs when the spine or brain does not close completely ...

Spina bifida, called myelomeningocele, occurs when spinal tissue fails to fuse properly during the early stages of pregnancy.

Spina bifida ... through ultrasound. While surgery performed after birth can help reduce some of the effects, surgery before birth can prevent or lessen the severity of the fetus’s spinal ...