SPINA BIFIDA

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does spina bifida mean? 

• SPINA BIFIDA (noun)
  The noun SPINA BIFIDA has 1 sense:

1. a not uncommon congenital defect in which a vertebra is malformed; unless several vertebrae are affected or there is myelomeningocele there are few symptoms; can be diagnosed by amniocentesis

  Familiarity information: SPINA BIFIDA used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPINA BIFIDA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A not uncommon congenital defect in which a vertebra is malformed; unless several vertebrae are affected or there is myelomeningocele there are few symptoms; can be diagnosed by amniocentesis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

rachischisis; schistorrhachis; spina bifida

Hypernyms ("spina bifida" is a kind of...):

birth defect; congenital abnormality; congenital anomaly; congenital defect; congenital disorder (a defect that is present at birth)

 Context examples 

The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly.

(Neural Tube Defects, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Examples of neural tube defects include encephalocele and spina bifida.

(Neural Tube Defect, NCI Thesaurus)

Manifestations include musculoskeletal abnormalities, intellectual disability, spina bifida, and distinctive facial features.

(Fetal Valproate Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

Hrubec found that exposure to these chemicals resulted in neural tube birth defects — the same birth defect as spina bifida and anencephaly in humans.

(Common Household Chemicals Lead to Birth Defects in Mice, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

It may present as an isolated phenomenon or in association with spina bifida.

(Diastematomyelia, NCI Thesaurus)

Other signs and symptoms include scoliosis, spina bifida, cleft palate, and rib malformations.

(Klippel-Feil Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

The level of alpha-fetoprotein in amniotic fluid is used to measure renal loss of protein to screen for spina bifida and anencephaly.

(Alpha-fetoprotein, NCI Thesaurus/LocusLink)

Major types include: • Diseases caused by faulty genes, such as Huntington's disease and muscular dystrophy • Problems with the way the nervous system develops, such as spina bifida • Degenerative diseases, where nerve cells are damaged or die, such as Parkinson's diseaseand Alzheimer's disease • Diseases of the blood vessels that supply the brain, such as stroke • Injuries to the spinal cord and brain • Seizure disorders, such as epilepsy • Cancer, such as brain tumors • infections, such as meningitis

(Neurologic Diseases, NIH)

Examples include heart defects, such as missing or misshaped valves; abnormal limbs, such as a clubfoot; neural tube defects, such as spina bifida; and problems related to the growth and development of the brain and spinal cord.

(NIH creates Atlas of Human Malformation Syndromes in Diverse Populations, NIH)

In spina bifida, the fetal spinal column doesn't close completely.

(Neural Tube Defects, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)