What if my blood test says that I have an increased chance that my baby has spina bifida?
The pregnancy blood test was originally designed to detect spina bifida, also called neural tube defect, in England in the 1970’s. The spinal column closes very early in pregnancy. When it fails to completely close, the spinal nerves are exposed to the amniotic fluid or enclosed in a bulging membranous sac. This usually occurs in the lower back. It is frequently accompanied by hydrocephalus or dilated fluid chambers in the brain and poor motor control of the legs. Many pregnancies with elevated test results do not have a baby with spina bifida. Ultrasound is very reliable in identifying those few babies that are affected.
