Spina Bifida Argumentative Essay Example

and Derrickson, 2005, p. 214). Furthermore, cervical and lumbar enlargements emerge from the spinal cord in bundles of nerves that provide innervation to limbs. In people with spina bifida or "split spine," vertebrae and spinal cord are present.

A gap in the lamina of the vertebrae, primarily in the fifth lumbar and first sacrum, reveals a section of the spinal cord (Au, et. al, 2008, p. 692), which may not have any negative effects on nerves and the spinal cord.

Spina bifida can take the form of a skin dimpling around an open vertebral cavity caused by unclosed laminae. This unclosure allows for the protrusion of the spinal cord's meninges or the spinal cord itself instead of following the spinal cavity's length. The baby may display this condition as a cyst-like sac on their lower back or an open lesion that exposes the vertebral cord and nerves (Nanigian et al., 2008, p. 1771).

The impacts of nerve damage vary depending on the degree of damage. If only the lower limbs are partially affected, it can lead to paralysis and loss of control over bladder/bowel functions (Brislin, 2008, p.34). Spina bifida can cause the cerebellum to shift position resulting in Arnold Chiari II malformation which is the collision between brain stem and spinal cord (Williams, 2008). The cerebrospinal fluid flows through the ventricles of the brain before finally being emptied into the spinal cord via brain stem.

Obstruction of drainage during ramming results in the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain, leading to elevated pressure and subsequent enlargement of the skull.