Ultra-processed foods are the latest nutritional villains, associated with several diseases of the modern world, from obesity to heart disease. However, many nutritionists question whether the term "ultra-processed" does ...
Oct 10, 2024
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A group of scientists at UCL have successfully created mechanical force sensors directly in the developing brains and spinal cords of chicken embryos, which they hope will improve understanding and prevention of birth malformations ...
Jul 12, 2024
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For patients undergoing urinary diversion for neurogenic bladder (NGB), the postoperative impact on urinary-related quality of life (UrQOL) is milder for spinal cord injury of congenital (C-SCI) etiology versus acquired (A-SCI) ...
Jul 3, 2024
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The UK government's failure to fortify all flour and rice with the vitamin folic acid "will result in more deaths and birth defects every year that could have been prevented," argues Professor Sir Nicholas Wald in The BMJ ...
Jun 19, 2024
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A group of researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have led an investigation that offers new insight into the causes of spina bifida, the most common structural disorder of the human nervous ...
May 8, 2024
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For children with neurogenic bladder, self-catheterization is associated with lower adherence to clean intermittent catheterization (CIC), according to a study recently published in the Journal of Pediatric Urology.
May 8, 2024
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Should you run to the bathroom now? Or can you hold it until you get home? A new implant and associated smartphone app may someday remove the guesswork from the equation.
Mar 25, 2024
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A team of international researchers—including experts from the University of Central Florida and Emory University—has proven, for the first time in a field study, that using folic acid-fortified iodized table salt can ...
Mar 11, 2024
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Scientists from Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University have succeeded in regenerating fully functional urinary bladder tissue in a long-term ...
Jan 30, 2024
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It's well-known how important it is to look after your health during and after pregnancy. But it can also be just as important for both men and women to focus on their health even before they begin trying for a baby.
Jan 11, 2024
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Spina bifida (Latin: "split spine") is a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. Some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. If the opening is large enough, this allows a portion of the spinal cord to protrude through the opening in the bones. There may or may not be a fluid-filled sac surrounding the spinal cord. Other neural tube defects include anencephaly, a condition in which the portion of the neural tube that will become the cerebrum does not close, and encephalocele, which results when other parts of the brain remain unfused.
Spina bifida malformations fall into three categories: spina bifida occulta, spina bifida cystica with meningocele, and spina bifida cystica with myelomeningocele. The most common location of the malformations is the lumbar and sacral areas. Myelomeningocele is the most significant form and it is this that leads to disability in most affected individuals. The terms spina bifida and myelomeningocele are usually used interchangeably.
Spina bifida can be surgically closed after birth, but this does not restore normal function to the affected part of the spinal cord. Intrauterine surgery for spina bifida has also been performed and the safety and efficacy of this procedure is currently being investigated. The incidence of spina bifida can be decreased by up to 70% when daily folic acid supplements are taken prior to conception.
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