After Spina Bifida (Myelomeningocele) Repair: How a Newborn Heals Over the First Weeks

The first photograph most families take is not of a face. It is a small back, covered with a soft dressing, a baby settled tummy-down in an incubator with a tangle of monitor leads and one parent’s finger resting against a hand. That image tends to stay with people, partly because it is so far from the picture they had imagined during pregnancy.

Spina bifida surgery recovery for a newborn is a different kind of recovery from most operations. The stitches on the back are, in many ways, the simpler part. What the team is really watching for over the first weeks is what the spinal cord and brain do next: whether fluid begins to collect in the head, how the bladder empties, how the legs move, how the baby feeds.

This explainer walks through those weeks as they usually unfold, what the checks are for, and where the evidence is honest about uncertainty. Every decision along the way belongs to the treating team, who know your baby’s anatomy in a way no article can.

What spina bifida surgery for a newborn actually does

Myelomeningocele is the most serious open form of spina bifida: a gap in the bones of the spine through which part of the spinal cord and its nerves push out into a thin sac on the baby’s back, often with no skin covering. According to MedlinePlus, this happens very early in pregnancy, in roughly the first four weeks, when the tube that becomes the spinal cord fails to close completely.

The operation is a closure, not a rebuild. A pediatric neurosurgeon gently separates the flat, exposed cord tissue (the neural placode) from the surrounding skin edges, tucks it back inside the spinal canal, and closes the dura, the tough membrane that normally wraps the cord. Muscle and connective tissue are brought together over that, and finally the skin. When the opening is wide, a plastic surgeon may move nearby skin as a flap so the wound is not under tension.

Three things are being achieved. The exposed nerves are protected from drying and from being knocked. The route for bacteria to reach the fluid around the brain and cord is sealed, which is why meningitis risk drops sharply once the back is closed. And the steady leak of cerebrospinal fluid, the clear liquid that cushions the brain and spinal cord, is stopped.

What the surgery cannot do is worth saying plainly. Nerves that formed abnormally in early pregnancy do not regain function because the skin above them is now closed. The NIH’s neurological institute describes the goal as preventing further damage and infection rather than restoring lost movement or sensation. Families who understand this before the operation tend to read the weeks afterward more accurately, because they know what the closure was for.

Why the repair usually happens within about 72 hours of birth

Speed matters because the sac is open. Mayo Clinic notes that postnatal closure of a myelomeningocele is usually done within 72 hours of birth, and the reasoning is straightforward: every hour that nerve tissue sits exposed is an hour of drying, mechanical stress and bacterial exposure.

Most babies born with this condition were diagnosed during pregnancy, through routine ultrasound or blood screening. That gives the team time to plan. Many centers schedule a cesarean birth so the sac is not compressed during a vaginal delivery, and Mayo Clinic describes this as a common approach when the defect is known in advance. Once the baby is born, the sac is covered with a sterile, moist, latex-free dressing, the baby is placed on the tummy, and antibiotics are started through a vein to lower infection risk while the wound is still open.

The hours before surgery are also when the baseline assessments happen. A neonatologist checks breathing and heart function. A neurosurgeon examines the size and level of the lesion and how the legs move. An ultrasound of the head measures the fluid-filled spaces inside the brain, so any later enlargement can be compared against a starting point. A urologist may arrange a first look at the kidneys and bladder.

Parents often ask whether waiting a day or two for a particular surgeon or a particular day of the week is safe. The honest answer is that the 72-hour window is a typical range, not a cliff, and the treating team weighs infection risk against the baby’s stability. A baby who is breathing poorly or whose heart needs evaluation will be stabilized first. That is a clinical judgment, made at the bedside, and it is the right place for it to sit.

Who is repaired right after birth, and who is asked to wait

The large majority of babies with myelomeningocele have the closure after birth, in the first days of life. A smaller group have already had it: fetal surgery, performed on the baby while still in the womb, usually before the 26th week of pregnancy according to Mayo Clinic. Those babies arrive with the back already closed, though they still need every other check described in this article, especially for hydrocephalus.

Fetal repair is not offered to every pregnancy. Selection depends on the level and size of the lesion, the position of the brain on imaging, the health of the pregnant parent and the timing of diagnosis. The evidence, summarized by Mayo Clinic and the NIH, shows that prenatal repair lowers the chance a child will later need a shunt for hydrocephalus and improves the odds of walking without aids, but it also raises the risk of preterm birth and carries surgical risks to the uterus that affect later pregnancies. It is a trade, not a shortcut, and the decision is made with a specialist fetal team.

Some newborns are asked to wait a little longer than 72 hours. Babies born very early, babies whose lungs are not yet coping, babies with a suspected heart problem that needs an echocardiogram, and babies with signs of infection elsewhere are stabilized before anesthesia. Waiting in these situations is not neglect; it is the team choosing the safer order of operations while the wound stays dressed and protected.

A third group needs a different first operation. When the head ultrasound already shows severe fluid buildup at birth, the neurosurgeon may treat the hydrocephalus at the same time as the back closure, or shortly before it. The sequence is individual, and the treating team will explain which order they have chosen and why.

Spina bifida surgery recovery in a newborn: the first 48 hours

The baby comes back from the operating room to the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, the ward built around very small patients. Expect monitors on the chest and a clip on a foot tracking oxygen, a drip in a hand or scalp vein, sometimes a small tube in the bladder to measure urine, and the baby settled face-down or on the side.

Breathing is watched closely. Some babies are supported by a ventilator for a short time after general anesthesia, and most come off it quickly. Nurses assess pain using structured scoring tools that read facial expression, cry, limb movement and heart rate, because a newborn cannot say where it hurts. Pain relief is given by the medical team according to those scores; the specifics belong to the prescribing clinician.

The back dressing usually stays undisturbed for the first day or two unless there is a concern. Staff check it for clear fluid, which could mean cerebrospinal fluid is leaking through the closure, and for redness spreading beyond the wound edges. Antibiotics started before surgery generally continue for a defined course decided by the neonatologist.

Head circumference is measured with a paper tape, usually daily, and written on a chart. That number, boring as it looks, is one of the most informative measurements in the room. Alongside it, the team feels the soft spot on top of the head, the anterior fontanelle, to check it is flat rather than tense.

Parents are rarely shut out of any of this. Touch is encouraged, a hand resting on the baby’s arm or the back of the head, and talking and singing matter to a newborn who knows those voices from months in the womb. Holding usually waits until the neurosurgeon is happy with the wound, often a matter of days.

Why babies lie on their tummy, and how the wound heals

A newborn who has just had spinal surgery spends most of the first week on the stomach or side. The reason is mechanical and hygienic. Lying on the back would press the fresh closure against the mattress, and it would also put the wound close to a diaper. Stool and urine are the main source of bacteria near a lumbar or sacral wound, so nurses position the diaper low or use a barrier drape so nothing tracks upward.

The closure itself has layers, and they heal at different speeds. The dura is sealed first, and a cerebrospinal fluid leak from that layer is the complication the team most wants to catch early, because it creates a pathway for infection. Skin is the outer layer, and many surgeons use stitches that dissolve on their own. When skin flaps were used, the surgeon may want to see the color and warmth of the moved skin each day for the first several days, since blood supply to a flap is what keeps it alive.

Dressings are changed on a schedule set by the surgical team. A little pinkness right at the edges is expected; spreading redness, swelling, a gap between the edges, or fluid that soaks the dressing is not, and staff will look at it the same day.

One detail is easy to miss. The CDC and NIH both flag that people with spina bifida are prone to latex allergy, probably because of repeated early exposure to latex gloves and catheters. Most units use latex-free supplies for these babies from the very first day, and families are usually asked to keep it that way at home, including with pacifiers and bottle nipples.

Once the wound is judged sound, positioning relaxes. Babies are allowed onto their backs for periods, then increasingly freely, with the surgeon setting the pace.

Hydrocephalus after spina bifida repair: what the team is watching for

Hydrocephalus means a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid inside the brain’s fluid chambers, the ventricles. It is the complication that shapes the first weeks more than anything else. MedlinePlus states that most babies with myelomeningocele develop it, and the NIH puts the figure in the range of 80 to 90 percent.

Two mechanisms explain why. The Chiari II malformation, which nearly always accompanies myelomeningocele, pulls the lower brain down into the top of the spinal canal and narrows the outlets through which fluid normally drains. Before surgery, some of that fluid escaped through the open back. After closure, that pressure valve is gone, so a baby who looked fine at birth may begin to show rising pressure over the first days to weeks.

The watch is low-tech and high-frequency: daily head circumference, the feel of the fontanelle, whether the baby is vomiting, unusually sleepy or irritable, whether the eyes drift downward so the whites show above the iris. Repeat head ultrasounds through the fontanelle confirm what the tape measure suggests.

When treatment is needed, the usual operation is a shunt, a thin flexible tube that carries fluid from the ventricles under the skin to the abdomen, where it is absorbed. Some children are instead offered an endoscopic procedure that opens a new internal drainage route, sometimes combined with reducing the tissue that produces fluid. Which is chosen depends on the baby’s anatomy and the surgeon’s judgment.

Not every baby needs this, and not every baby who needs it needs it in the first week. The NHS describes hydrocephalus treatment as lifelong follow-up rather than a single event, because shunts can block or become infected years later. That reality is why families are taught the warning signs before discharge.

Chiari II malformation: the quiet breathing and swallowing checks

Chiari II malformation is the term for the lower part of the brain, the cerebellum and brainstem, sitting lower than usual, partly through the opening at the base of the skull. Cleveland Clinic and the NIH note that it is present in most babies with myelomeningocele. For the majority it causes no obvious symptoms in the newborn period; its main effect is the hydrocephalus described above.

In a minority, the crowded brainstem struggles with jobs it normally does automatically. The team therefore listens for a high-pitched noisy breath on inhaling (stridor), watches for pauses in breathing, notes a weak or unusual cry, and pays attention to how the baby coordinates sucking, swallowing and breathing at the breast or bottle. Choking, coughing with feeds, or a baby who tires quickly while feeding are the kind of observations nurses record and pass on.

These are checks, not expectations. Most families never see any of them. When they do appear, the first step is usually to make sure hydrocephalus is controlled, because pressure from above can worsen crowding below. Only if symptoms persist despite that does a neurosurgeon consider a decompression operation at the back of the skull, and that is a discussion for a small number of families.

A different structural issue shows up later rather than in the first weeks. Scar tissue where the cord was closed can hold the cord in place as the child grows, a condition called tethered cord. It is one of the reasons follow-up continues through childhood, with attention to changes in leg strength, bladder pattern, back pain or foot shape. Nothing about it needs action in the newborn period, but knowing the word helps when it comes up at a later clinic visit.

Bladder, bowel and kidneys from day one

The nerves that control the bladder and bowel leave the spinal cord at its lowest segments, and those are the segments most often involved in myelomeningocele. The NHS notes that most people with spina bifida have some degree of bladder and bowel involvement. In a newborn this shows up not as incontinence, which every newborn has, but as a bladder that may not empty completely or that holds urine at high pressure.

High pressure is the concern, because it can push urine back toward the kidneys and, over years, damage them. Protecting the kidneys is therefore a first-week priority even though the baby has no symptoms. A urologist typically arranges an ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder soon after birth and may measure how much urine remains after the baby passes it.

Many babies are started early on clean intermittent catheterization, which means a parent or nurse passes a small soft tube into the bladder at set intervals to drain it fully. Mayo Clinic describes this as a standard part of care for neurogenic bladder in spina bifida. Parents are taught the technique in the NICU, with supervision, until they are confident. The schedule and any medicines that relax the bladder muscle are decided by the urology team.

Bowel care in the newborn period is simpler: watching stool pattern and firmness, since reduced nerve supply can make constipation more likely as feeds increase. Structured bowel programs come later in childhood.

Within a few months, formal bladder pressure testing, called urodynamics, gives a clearer picture. The results guide how often catheterization happens and whether other steps are needed. Families sometimes feel this side of care is invisible next to the neurosurgery, but the evidence is consistent: kidney health is one of the strongest determinants of long-term wellbeing in spina bifida.

Feeding, holding and comfort while the back heals

Feeding usually restarts within a day of surgery, once the baby is awake enough to coordinate sucking and swallowing and the team is comfortable with breathing. Breast milk or formula are both fine; the surgery does not change what the baby can digest. What changes is position. Because the baby is lying on the tummy or side, feeds are often given side-lying, with the parent reclining beside the incubator or the baby on a pillow across the lap with the back protected.

Skin-to-skin contact is possible surprisingly early in many units. The baby lies chest-down on a parent’s bare chest, wound uppermost and covered, which keeps pressure off the back while giving warmth, familiar heartbeat and a steadier breathing rhythm. Nurses will show you how to lift and turn with one hand spread under the chest and the other supporting the head, avoiding any grip across the lower back.

Comfort measures matter as much as medicines. A newborn’s pain shows as a furrowed brow, clenched fists, a particular cry and a raised heart rate on the monitor. Swaddling the arms while leaving the wound area free, a pacifier, a few drops of expressed milk on the tongue before a procedure, dimmed lights and a quiet voice are all standard NICU practice supported by neonatal guidance.

Diaper changes are done with the baby on the side, rolling rather than lifting the legs high, so the wound is not stretched and nothing from the diaper migrates upward.

Families often worry that their baby is missing out on the cuddles a healthy newborn gets. In practice the difference is measured in days rather than weeks, and NICU teams generally want parents’ hands on the baby as early as the wound allows.

Weeks one to six: what myelomeningocele repair recovery usually looks like

Every baby’s path is individual, and the timings below are typical patterns drawn from MedlinePlus, Mayo Clinic and NHS descriptions of care, not promises. Some babies move faster; a baby who needs a shunt or has breathing difficulty from Chiari II will move more slowly. The table is a map of what the team is usually doing, so the days feel less random.

Period	What is usually happening	What the team is watching
Days 1–3	Back closure done, baby prone in NICU, antibiotics, feeds restarting	Wound edges, fluid leak, breathing, pain scores, baseline head ultrasound
Days 3–7	Dressing checks, skin-to-skin, catheterization teaching begins if needed	Daily head circumference, fontanelle tension, urine output, feeding coordination
Weeks 2–3	Wound judged sound, more positions allowed, parents doing most care	Signs of hydrocephalus; shunt or other drainage surgery if pressure rises
Weeks 3–6	Discharge planning or home, first multidisciplinary clinic visits	Head growth on charts, kidney and bladder imaging, leg and foot examination

The middle rows carry the most uncertainty. Hydrocephalus that needs treatment most often declares itself in these weeks, which is why some families who expected to go home find the stay extended for a second operation. That is not a setback in the sense of something going wrong; it is the expected course for the majority of babies with this condition, arriving on its own schedule.

Discharge is not tied to a fixed day count. It happens when the wound is healed, feeding is established, the head is growing at an acceptable rate or hydrocephalus has been treated, and parents feel able to do the daily care. Your team will give you a range based on your baby, and that range is the one to trust.

Going home: the team you will keep meeting

Leaving the hospital changes the setting, not the amount of attention. Spina bifida care is built around a multidisciplinary clinic, meaning several specialists see the child at the same visit and talk to one another. The NHS and Mayo Clinic describe the usual cast: a neurosurgeon for the head and spine, a urologist for the kidneys and bladder, an orthopedic surgeon for the hips, legs and feet, a physical therapist, and a developmental pediatrician or rehabilitation specialist who coordinates.

The first weeks at home are mostly about the routines you learned in the NICU. Catheterization at the intervals the urologist set. Checking the wound at bath time, which is usually allowed once the surgeon confirms the skin is closed. Measuring head circumference at home if you were asked to, or bringing the baby for a nurse to do it. Latex-free supplies.

Orthopedic attention starts early because the same nerve involvement that affects the bladder affects the legs. Some babies are born with feet turned inward (clubfoot) or hips that sit loosely in their sockets, and early stretching, casting or bracing is far easier in a small infant than later. A physical therapist will show you positions and movements that keep joints supple and let you notice change.

Developmental follow-up is not a formality. Children with spina bifida, particularly those with treated hydrocephalus, are more likely to have learning differences in attention, organization and math that only show later. Enrolling in early intervention services from infancy is standard advice from the CDC and gives the child the best chance of support before school.

Parents often describe the first months as learning a second language: shunts, urodynamics, tethering, bracing. It comes quickly, and the clinic team expects to teach it.

What people often get wrong about spina bifida newborn surgery

The most common misunderstanding is that the operation restores what was lost. It does not, and it is not designed to. The closure protects nerve tissue and prevents infection; leg movement and sensation present before surgery are what remain after it. Families who expect a baby to kick more once the back is closed are set up for disappointment that has nothing to do with the surgery’s quality.

A second myth runs the other way: that after the back is repaired, the hard part is over. In truth the closure is the first of many steps, and the weeks that follow, with their hydrocephalus watch and bladder assessments, matter at least as much for the child’s long-term health.

Some parents arrive believing every baby will need a shunt. Most will, according to MedlinePlus and the NIH, but not all, and the proportion is lower after fetal repair. Others believe the reverse, that fetal surgery means no hydrocephalus. Mayo Clinic’s summary is more measured: prenatal repair reduces the need for a shunt, it does not eliminate it.

The level of the lesion on the spine is often treated as a fixed forecast. It is a useful guide, with lower lesions generally linked to better walking prospects, but children with the same level vary widely, and function can change with growth, tethering and how well hydrocephalus is controlled.

Guilt is its own myth. The CDC is clear that folic acid before and during early pregnancy lowers the risk of neural tube defects, but most parents of babies with spina bifida did nothing wrong, and many were taking supplements. The condition has genetic and environmental contributors that are not under anyone’s control.

Finally, the idea that the baby cannot be touched or held is mistaken. Positioning changes how you hold, not whether you can.

What is the life expectancy of a baby born with spina bifida?

Families ask this question early, often in the first conversation, and they deserve a direct answer. The NHS states that most people with spina bifida now live into adulthood, and that with the right care many live long and full lives. That is a marked change from the middle of the last century, before routine shunting and modern bladder management, when survival past childhood was uncertain.

The honest qualifier is that the risks that remain are specific and manageable rather than vague. Shunt blockage or infection is the most important in childhood, which is why the warning signs are taught so carefully. Kidney damage from an unmanaged high-pressure bladder is the most important across the lifespan, which is why urology follow-up never really ends. Breathing complications from Chiari II are rarer but are why the newborn checks are so attentive. Pressure sores on skin that cannot feel, and the complications of reduced mobility, add risk in adulthood.

Life expectancy is not a single number that can be quoted for an individual baby. It depends on the level of the lesion, whether hydrocephalus develops and how it is treated, the health of the kidneys, and the quality and continuity of care through the transition from pediatric to adult services, a stage the CDC identifies as a vulnerable one.

What living with spina bifida looks like is equally varied. Many children walk, some with braces or crutches, some using a wheelchair for distance. Most attend mainstream school, and adults with spina bifida work, form relationships and raise families. The CDC notes that roughly 1,400 babies are born with spina bifida each year in the United States, which means a large community of families and adults who have walked this path and can be found through clinic teams and national organizations.

Questions to ask your care team

The first weeks bring a rotating set of specialists, and it is easy to forget the question you had at three in the morning. Writing them down helps, and so does asking one person on the team, often a nurse coordinator, to be your point of contact. These are the questions families most often wish they had asked sooner.

• What level of the spine is the lesion, and what does that usually mean for legs, bladder and bowel, with the caveat that individuals vary?
• What did the baseline head ultrasound show, and how will you decide whether hydrocephalus needs treatment?
• If a shunt is needed, which type would you use, and what warning signs should we learn before we go home?
• What did the kidney and bladder ultrasound show, and will we be taught catheterization before discharge?
• When can we hold our baby, and which positions protect the wound?
• How should we care for the wound at home, and when can the baby have a bath?
• Is our baby being cared for with latex-free supplies, and what should we avoid at home?
• Which specialists will be at the first clinic visit, and who coordinates between them?
• Are there any signs of Chiari II symptoms, and what would prompt further imaging?
• What early intervention or therapy services should we enroll in, and who makes the referral?
• Who do we call after hours if we are worried, and what happens when we call?

None of these questions has a universal answer, which is the point. The neurosurgeon who closed your baby’s back, the urologist who read the ultrasound and the nurses who watched the monitors through the night hold the information that applies to your child. An article can tell you what the questions are; only they can answer them.

When to call your doctor

Before discharge, most teams give a written list of red flags and a phone number that is answered at any hour. The list below reflects the warning signs described by MedlinePlus, Mayo Clinic and the NHS for a baby with a repaired myelomeningocele, and any one of them is a reason to call the same day or seek emergency care rather than wait for the next appointment.

• A rapidly enlarging head, a fontanelle that feels tense or bulging when the baby is calm and upright, or the eyes drifting downward so white shows above the iris: possible rising pressure from hydrocephalus or a shunt problem.
• Repeated vomiting, unusual sleepiness or difficulty waking, a high-pitched cry, or new irritability that does not settle with feeding and comfort.
• Clear fluid leaking from the back wound, a soft swelling under the skin near it, redness spreading beyond the edges, or the wound edges separating.
• Fever, or a baby who is unusually cold, pale or mottled.
• Noisy high-pitched breathing, pauses in breathing, blue color around the lips, or new choking and coughing with feeds: possible Chiari II symptoms.
• A marked change in how the legs move compared with what you have been seeing, or a change in the usual pattern of wetting and stooling.
• Along a shunt track, redness or swelling of the skin over the tubing on the neck or chest.

Trust the change you notice even if it is not on the list. Parents see their baby across every hour and pick up shifts that a single examination can miss. Calling and being told all is well is a good outcome, and NICU and neurosurgery teams say so consistently. Keep the number where every caregiver can find it, and make sure anyone who looks after your baby knows the head and wound signs as well as you do.

Frequently asked questions

How is spina bifida treated in babies?

Open spina bifida (myelomeningocele) is treated with surgery to close the back, either before birth in selected pregnancies or within the first days after birth. Closure protects the exposed spinal cord and prevents infection. Ongoing care then addresses hydrocephalus, often with a shunt, and bladder, bowel, leg and developmental needs through a multidisciplinary team over many years.

What happens when someone is born with spina bifida?

A baby with myelomeningocele is placed on the tummy with a sterile latex-free dressing over the sac, started on antibiotics, and assessed by neonatal, neurosurgical and urology teams. A head ultrasound and kidney ultrasound establish baselines. Closure of the back usually follows within about 72 hours, after which the baby recovers in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Why does hydrocephalus after spina bifida repair happen so often?

The Chiari II malformation that accompanies most cases narrows the outlets through which cerebrospinal fluid drains, and closing the back removes the leak that had been relieving pressure. Fluid then builds in the brain’s ventricles. MedlinePlus and the NIH note that most babies with myelomeningocele develop hydrocephalus, usually within the first weeks, and many need a shunt.

How long does myelomeningocele repair recovery take in the hospital?

There is no fixed length. Discharge depends on the wound healing, feeding being established, head growth being acceptable or hydrocephalus having been treated, and parents feeling confident with daily care. Babies who need a shunt in the second or third week stay longer. Your treating team will give a range based on your baby’s progress rather than a set number of days.

When can I hold my baby after spina bifida newborn surgery?

Usually within days, once the neurosurgeon is satisfied the wound is sound. Touching and talking are encouraged from the start, and skin-to-skin contact with the baby chest-down on a parent’s chest is often possible early because it keeps pressure off the back. Nurses will show you how to lift and turn without gripping across the lower spine.

Will my baby be able to walk?

It depends mainly on the level of the lesion, with lower lesions generally linked to better walking prospects, but children with the same level vary widely. Many children with spina bifida walk, some with braces or crutches, and some use a wheelchair for distance. The evidence from prenatal repair studies shows improved odds of independent walking, not a guarantee.

What is the life expectancy of a baby born with spina bifida?

The NHS states that most people with spina bifida now live into adulthood and many live long, full lives with appropriate care. No single number applies to an individual. The main long-term risks are shunt problems, kidney damage from an unmanaged bladder and complications of reduced mobility, all of which are the focus of lifelong follow-up.

What is it like living with spina bifida?

It varies widely. Most children attend mainstream school, and adults work, form relationships and raise families. Daily routines often include catheterization, bracing or mobility aids, and regular clinic visits. Some children with treated hydrocephalus have learning differences in attention or organization that benefit from early support. The CDC highlights the transition to adult care as a stage needing planning.

Why is my baby kept away from latex?

People with spina bifida have a higher rate of latex allergy, probably because of repeated early exposure to latex gloves and catheters during procedures. The CDC and NIH both note this risk. Units use latex-free supplies from birth, and families are usually asked to continue at home, including pacifiers, bottle nipples and balloons, to reduce the chance of a serious reaction.

Can I breastfeed after my baby's spina bifida surgery?

Yes, in most cases. Feeding usually restarts within a day of surgery once the baby is alert and breathing comfortably. The difference is position: feeds are often given side-lying so the wound is not pressed. If the team is watching for Chiari II symptoms, they may observe how your baby coordinates sucking, swallowing and breathing during the first feeds.

References

• MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Myelomeningocele
• NHS: Spina bifida, treatment
• NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Spina Bifida
• CDC: About Spina Bifida

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.