Spina ((better)) Jun 2026

In the womb, surgeons can now perform delicate fetal surgery to close the spinal opening before the baby is born. This groundbreaking procedure, pioneered in part through the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS), has shown that repairing the spine early can reduce the need for shunts and improve motor function.

: Incidence varies by ethnicity; for instance, the CDC reports that Hispanic women have the highest rates of children born with spina bifida in the U.S.. Health Impacts and Management In the womb, surgeons can now perform delicate