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About Spina BifidaEarly Catheterization Is Key To |
What is Spina Bifida?
Spina Bifidia is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States. It occurs when the spine of the baby fails to close during the first months of pregnancy. The effects of Spina Bifida are different for each person but often include paralysis. There is no known cause, or cure, because the nerve and spinal damage is permanent.
Did you know:
- Each day in the United States, an average of 8 babies are born with Spina Bifida or a similar defect of the brain or spine.
- An estimated 166,000 people with Spina Bifida currently live in the United States.
- Hispanic mothers are 1-1/2 times more likely to give birth to a child with Spina Bifida than non-Hispanic Caucasians.
Abigail Branson Not Limited by Spina Bifida
Medical Issues
People with Spina Bifida potentially face additional medical challenges, including:
Latex Allergy
Research studies have shown that up to 73% of children and adolescents with Spina Bifida are sensitive to latex. Learn more about latex allergies and spina bifida here.
UroMed carries a complete line of Latex-Free products for patients with latex sensitivities.
Urologic Care and Management: Using Catheters
According to the Spina Bifida Association, the urologic care of children with Spina Bifida has undergone several important changes in the last decade. The emphasis is now on early catherization of the child's lower urinary tract function and preventive treatment to preserve both kidney and bladder function in an attempt to maximize the child's long-term health.
UroMed provides only the highest quality catheters and medical supplies from the leading name brand urology and incontinence supply manufacturers to help parents and caregivers with the most effective and reliable products for their child’s care.
Spina Bifida Resources
UroMed provides links to the following educational resources for patients, caregivers and medical professionals to help increase awareness, support and assistance for people affected by Spina Bifida.
We are also strong advocates. Almost 20% of UroMed’s Customer Care Associates or one of their family members has some form of disability, enabling us to share our understanding and expertise when working with you.
Preventing Spina Bifida
There are some ways that the risks of Spina Bifida can be reduced during pregnancy. Watch this
video to learn more about the benefits of Folic Acid.
Spina Bifida University
The Spina Bifida Association (SBA) has launched a new online educational platform called SB University (SBU). SBU offers both live and archived seminars on topics related to Spina Bifida. These can vary from health related seminars with medical professionals to employment or education tips from subject matter experts.
The free educational opportunities are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with computer access. All the user needs is a computer with internet access. Users will need to register to receive a user name and password to access the site. Visit http://www.sbuniversity.org to take part.
Resources for Teens
The Spina Bifida Association has launched SBTeen2Teen at http://www.sbtween2teen.org, a new Web site for tweens and teens with Spina Bifida. Complete with blogs, videos, real stories, fact sheets, and an Ask the Expert feature, the interactive site helps tweens and teens navigate the difficult road to adulthood which can be complicated further by this challenging birth defect.
