Congenital conditions are known as birth defects. The conditions those are present at the time of birth. The baby is affected with it at its intrauterine stage. Therefore, congenital conditions of the Central Nervous System (CNS) are those birth defects, which cause abnormalities of the brain or spinal cord. The two organs are developed from the neural tube while in the foetal stage. In case, the neural tube is unable to fuse, it results in birth defects of the CNS. Therefore, they are also known as neural tube defects. Increasing cases of such conditions are leading to advancement of child surgery in Siliguri.

Causes of Congenital Conditions of the CNS

Causes of Neural Tube Defects can range from genetic, environmental to medicinal.

Folic Acid Deficiency- The primary risk factor for birth defects of CNS is the lack of folic acid in the mother’s body.

Hereditary- There is many cases of genetically acquired neural tube defect. If someone in the family has a congenital CNS condition, it is likely to pass on the foetus.

Faulty Genes- Sometimes the baby inherits the faulty copies (impaired genes) from the parents. This disables the foetus to make use of the folate from the mother. Therefore, it increases the risk of congenital CNS issues.

Certain Medicines- Few medicines taken during pregnancy can contribute to the condition.

You must take proper care and ask your doctor for the right amount of folic acid.

Types of Congenital Conditions of the CNS

It involves defects in the brain (microcephaly, anencephaly and encephalocele.) and spinal cord (spina bifida). It is treated with surgical methods. Consult the best option for child surgery in Siliguri for knowing more about the conditions.

Conditions of the Spinal Cord (Spina Bifida)

In this condition, the bones of the spinal cord are unable to fuse. It results in popping out of the nerve and cause abnormalities along the length of the spine especially in the lower back region. The several conditions of the spina bifda are

• Hydrocephalaus (Large head)-Accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid inside the brain
• Meningocoele- Bulging out of the spinal membrane (meninges)
• Meningomyelocoele- Bulging out of the meninges, spinal cord and blood vessels

Conditions of the Brain

The various neural tube defects affecting the brain are

• Microcephaly- It is a condition, in which the forehead is smaller than the normal size.
• Anencephaly- As a result of failure of closing of the neural tube at the head, it can cause absence of brain tissues or meninges.
• Encephalocele- Bulging out of the meninges and brain tissues from the gap and sometimes the protusion is larger than the baby’s head.

Get Help

Prevention is the best option. However, some conditions can be treated with surgeries. Look out for the best child surgery in Siliguri.