Symptoms of spina bifida depend on the severity/type as well as the spinal cord level it occurs in; where the higher the defect the worse the symptoms. However, most cases occur low within the spinal cord with most neurological symptoms affecting the lower limbs and bladder and bowel functions – though higher lesions are still possible (1).

Children with spina bifida often have impaired movement and sensation below the level of the NTD – causing weakness or paralysis. They might also have urinary (bladder) and/or fecal (bowel) incontinence. Although spina bifida does not affect the brain by itself, it is often associated with other neurological diseases that might affect brain and cognitive development – such as Chiari malformation and hydrocephalus. Such associated disorders might affect normal brain development of children with NTDs, and therefore affect their intelligence, behavior, speech, social development…etc. (1, 2).