Spina bifida is one of the leading causes of childhood disabilities. Many babies with this defect survive but many suffer illness, lifelong disability and social challenges. The resulting medical and special education costs are staggering; the emotional and financial drain for the families can be devastating. Because of these reasons spina bifida is a birth defect of immense importance.

The introduction of screening programmes measuring maternal serum alfa fetoprotein levels and the development of more sensitive ultrasound scanners have made possible antenatal diagnosis at stage when termination of pregnancy can be offered. "Prevention is better than cure". In the West, it has been proved that folic acid supplementation in the periconceptional period of women has reduced the incidence of NTDs by 70%. Special attention has to be given and effective campaign should be started in our country for prevention of this congenital malformation.

"Spina Bifida" comes from 2 words "Spina" meaning spine, "bifida" meaning split or divided. Spina bifida is the term used to describe a birth defect resulting from abnormal fusion of the posterior neural tube. The etiology is unclear. Though many factors including familial (hereditary), genetic and environmental factors - folic acid & zinc deficiencies, lead excess, maternal hyperthermia, hypervitaminosis A, excessive potatoes, hormones during conception, parenteral smoking and insulin dependent DM in mother have been proposed no definite etiological factor has been gained rational explanation in the causation of the spina bifida. Amongst these etiological factors maternal folic acid deficiency is the most renowned fact which many authors agree as a cause for spina bifida.

Characteristically in spina bifida, the change ranges from one or more vertebrae being incompletely developed with a minimal abnormality such as an absent spinous process and associated dorsal intralaminar cleft to the more profound changes of absence of the dorsal half of the vertebrae at multiple levels, abnormal vertebral bodies and high degree kyphosis. In it's full expression such as myelomeningocele the entire central nervous system is involved and there are associated multi system anomalies.