Xiaowei was born with a small tail-like tumor. As time passed, the growth began to enlarge. Today, a seven-month-old boy has a 10 cm long tumor.
Xiaowei suffers from a congenital malformation caused by incomplete closure of the neural tube during embryonic development. The baby was born with a meningeal hernia. Many more babies are born with this syndrome than with Down’s syndrome and spina bifida taken together, but in some cases this type of defect is minor and can only be identified with detailed research.
The disadvantages of incomplete neural tube closure are dysraphias. These syndromes develop very early in development – before the embryo is four weeks old. Their cause is usually an insufficient amount of folic acid in the mother’s body.
The prognosis of children with such defects depends on their severity. Intellectually, patients usually develop normally, but suffer from various neurological ailments until the end of their lives. They also have an increased risk of developing meningitis.
The comfort of life of patients suffering from meningeal hernia can be improved by surgical procedures reducing the growth. Due to neurological problems, physical rehabilitation is also usually necessary.
This tragedy could probably have been avoided. It is estimated that regular intake of folic acid preparations before pregnancy and in its first trimester reduces the risk of such defects by as much as 70%! The primary prevention program of neural tube defects, conducted in Poland since 1997, aims to persuade all women of childbearing age who may become pregnant to regularly take folic acid.
Text: AG