What is Spina Bifida?
Spina Bifida is a birth defect where the spine and the spinal cord don’t close properly. This defective closure can arise anywhere along the spine, from the neck to the rump bone and tail bones, but is most often found in the loin area. Surgical closure of the Spina Bifida is performed as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours of birth.
How Does Spina Bifida Affect Your Bladder and Bowel?
In Spina Bifida, neural impulses cannot reach their destination in a normal way and nerve functionality of the bladder is disturbed in 90% of cases. Most people with Spina Bifida have some effect on their bowel control as well. The impaired signals also lead to muscular deficiency with paralysis and reduced mobility, numbness, poor circulation in the legs, and a higher risk of bone fracture.
Effects on Your Bladder
If the spinal cord damage is partial, you experience a certain loss of the ability to control your muscles, but some signals will still come through. This allows for the possibility of intermittent catheterization (IC) for emptying the bladder, which can be a good solution for a longer, healthier and more independent life. Read more about it here.
Effects on Your Bowel
The spinal cord damage may cause limited control over the bowel and the sphincter muscles, which can result in bowel incontinence, and reduced bowel movement can cause constipation. It is common to experience both constipation and episodes of bowel leakage. Bowel irrigation may be an alternative to take control of your bowel. Read more about it here.
Resources
The US-based Spina Bifida Association is focused on serving children and adults who live with Spina Bifida. The website offers resources, educational material, information on prevention and ways to get involved.
We hope this eBook will help you make an informed decision about the best catheter for you and/or your child:
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Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction
What is bladder and bowel dysfunction and how do they correlate with each other? In a lot of cases, bladder and bowel symptoms coexist side by side and interact. Here we explore why.
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Intermittent Catheterization with a Three-Year-Old
Evie and her mother share their story of what it was like to start intermittent catheterization as a young child.
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Children and Bowel Irrigation
How does bowel irrigation for children work? Here we explore how and when to introduce TAI for children.
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Children's Bladder Health
Children will need to use a catheter to pee if they are not able to do so by themselves. Here we explore the options.
For Healthcare Professionals
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Teaching Intermittent Catheterization
key:global.content-type: Course
Learn about the function of the bladder, the anatomy and physiology of the urinary tract and get treatment options for incomplete bladder emptying.
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Bowel conditions in children – webinar
key:global.content-type: Video
In this webinar, Bev Collins, Clinical nurse lead, Wellspect, will talk you through conditions in children that may lead to bowel dysfunction.
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Scientific review of transanal irrigation in children
key:global.content-type: Article
TAI is reported to have an efficacy rate of 78% in children with both constipation and fecal incontinence.
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Pediatric study with Navina Irrigation System
key:global.content-type: Article
In this science article a combined retrospective and cross-sectional survey study investigates chronic idiopathic constipation in children and bowel regimen with bowel irrigation, also called transanal irrigation (TAI).
