From Mother to Child

[Renuka]

What are the possibilities of passing on SB from mother to child?Will taking Follic Acid tablets as a preventive measure help before concieving.
My great grandmother was having a lipoma on her lower back,similar to the one i had,however there is no way for me to know that she was suffering from SB or tethered cord and she survived for 92 yrs,she had three kids and none of them had this condition,none of my uncles and aunts are having this condition and amongst third generation that is ours i am the only one having this condition.I am soon to be married what prevention can i take to not passing it to on my child.

[Dodger67]

The chance of you having a child with SB is actually surprisingly low - it is certainly below 5%. Your own history shows it quite clearly - only one case in the third generation after the first known occurrence.
Folic acid reduces the odds by around 70%. Take 4 to 5 mg of folic every day starting at least 2 to 3 months before trying to get pregnant and continue taking it until at least the end of the second month of pregnancy. Taking it only after you know you are pregnant is useless because by then the damage is already done - it happens around the 3rd or 4th week.

[LisaJoy]

Actually, you should probably take it further into pregnancy. Closed neural tube defects like lipomeningocele actually occur a little later than open neural tube defects like myelomeningocele -- I've read around the 8th-9th week. I think a lot of physicians have their patients take it all the way through pregnancy. Also, it is my understanding that folic acid hasn't been scientifically demonstrated to prevent anything but open neural tube defects -- anencephaly and myelomeningocele. But I think most drs/scientists assume that if it were studied, it would show the same protective effect for the whole range of neural tube defects. It has also not been demonstrated that a person with a closed defect has a higher chance of having a baby with an open defect than the general population. But again -- this may be just because it hasn't been studied very thoroughly. The general consensus seems to be that if there's ANY history of any type of neural tube defect in the family, that person should take a high dosage of folic acid for three months prior to conceiving and through at least the first trimester of pregnancy.

And of course -- taking folic acid doesn't guarantee anythhing. But the risk of a neural tube defect is low in the first place, and folic acid probably lowers it even more, so it is worth doing.

[XoBLoNDiE85]

LisaJoy- i took at least FOUR TIMES more than the dosage and Hannah still has sb myleo> I have heard that its enviromental as well...is this true? I have basically summed it up as luck of the draw! Just curious on what you know about it...you are always full of all the facts! =)

[Dodger67]

Wouldn't 16-20 milligrams per day be toxic?
As far as I know the dose for SB risk reduction of 4-5 milligrams is already quite close to the toxic limit. It is at least 100 times the normal dietary intake.

The stats I've read about say it reduces the risk by about 70%, which is substantial but nowhere near a guarantee. So yes luck of the draw is still a major factor.

[sean]

I've not heard of folic acid overdose, I'm sure it's water soluble, you wee out excess.
I overdosed on parsley once, I think just too much green, clorophyll.
I have heard that folic acid taken in excess over a long period can mask symptoms of under lying problems??? I think particularly older folk.

[Lifeisgood]

Agent Orange is also linked to development of SB. Children of veterans exposed to Agent Orange who have SB (forms other than SBO) are eligible for some financial assistance. Even though people with SBO are technically not eligible, I have heard of a few cases where this was waived for people who have complications for SBO. Once I get my act together, I am actually going to try to apply for this especially as I have recently started to have more issues.

[LisaJoy]

LisaJoy- i took at least FOUR TIMES more than the dosage and Hannah still has sb myleo> I have heard that its enviromental as well...is this true? I have basically summed it up as luck of the draw! Just curious on what you know about it...you are always full of all the facts! =)

I think Dodger is right -- they don't really know what causes that other 30%. Probably a combination of environment, genetics, and who knows what! You did what you could.

I don't know about folic acid overdose -- I've never found anything that mentions it, except one site that says high doses can interfere with some anti-seizure medications.

[XoBLoNDiE85]

we were told that my body doesnt absorb folic acid like it should......odd....but yea i guess i did what i could but it pops in my head from time to time still.