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Wei CF, Tindula G, Mukherjee SK, Wang X, Ekramullah SM, Arman DM, Islam MJ, Azim M, Rahman A, Afreen S, Ziaddin M, Warf BC, Weisskopf MG, Christiani DC, Liang L, Mazumdar M. Maternal arsenic exposure modifies associations between arsenic, folate and arsenic metabolism gene variants, and spina bifida risk: A case‒control study in Bangladesh. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 261:119714. [PMID: 39094898 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spina bifida is a type of neural tube defect (NTD); NTDs are developmental malformations of the spinal cord that result from failure of neural tube closure during embryogenesis and are likely caused by interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Arsenic induces NTDs in animal models, and studies demonstrate that mice with genetic defects related to folate metabolism are more susceptible to arsenic's effects. We sought to determine whether 25 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in folate and arsenic metabolism modified the associations between maternal arsenic exposure and risk of spina bifida (a common NTD) among a hospital-based case-control study population in Bangladesh. METHODS We used data from 262 mothers and 220 infants who participated in a case‒control study at the National Institutes of Neurosciences & Hospital and Dhaka Shishu Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Neurosurgeons assessed infants using physical examinations, review of imaging, and we collected histories using questionnaires. We assessed arsenic from mothers' toenails using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and we genotyped participants using the Illumina Global Screening Array v1.0. We chose candidate genes and SNPs through a review of the literature. We assessed SNP-environment interactions using interaction terms and stratified models, and we assessed gene-environment interactions using interaction sequence/SNP-set kernel association tests (iSKAT). RESULTS The median toenail arsenic concentration was 0.42 μg/g (interquartile range [IQR]: 0.27-0.86) among mothers of cases and 0.47 μg/g (IQR: 0.30-0.97) among mothers of controls. We found an two SNPs in the infants' AS3MT gene (rs11191454 and rs7085104) and one SNP in mothers' DNMT1 gene (rs2228611) were associated with increased odds of spina bifida in the setting of high arsenic exposure (rs11191454, OR 3.01, 95% CI: 1.28-7.09; rs7085104, OR 2.33, 95% CI: 1.20-4.and rs2228611, OR 2.11, 95% CI: 1.11-4.01), along with significant SNP-arsenic interactions. iSKAT analyses revealed significant interactions between mothers' toenail concentrations and infants' AS3MT and MTR genes (p = 0.02), and mothers' CBS gene (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our results support the hypothesis that arsenic increases spina bifida risk via interactions with folate and arsenic metabolic pathways and suggests that individuals in the population who have certain genetic polymorphisms in genes involved with arsenic and folate metabolism may be more susceptible than others to the arsenic teratogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Fu Wei
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gwen Tindula
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Sudipta Kumer Mukherjee
- Department of Paediatric Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Xingyan Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sheikh Muhammad Ekramullah
- Department of Paediatric Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - D M Arman
- Department of Paediatric Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Joynul Islam
- Department of Clinical Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Asifur Rahman
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shamantha Afreen
- Department of Paediatric Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ziaddin
- Department of Paediatric Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Benjamin C Warf
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Marc G Weisskopf
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David C Christiani
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liming Liang
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maitreyi Mazumdar
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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Yakhup A, Okada H, Kawagoe I, Sumikura H. Anesthesia outcomes of pregnant women with spinal diseases: a single-center case-series study. JA Clin Rep 2023; 9:56. [PMID: 37644259 PMCID: PMC10465460 DOI: 10.1186/s40981-023-00648-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuraxial anesthesia is widely used as the most effective and standard method in obstetric anesthesia. However, there is a concern that neuraxial anesthesia may be technically difficult or ineffective in pregnant women with spinal disease. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the implementation rate of neuraxial anesthesia among pregnant women with spinal diseases and their success rate at our institution. METHODS The subjects of this study were pregnant patients who delivered at Juntendo University Nerima Hospital between April 2017 and December 2020. After obtaining ethics committee approval, data were collected from patients' medical records. RESULTS Of the 2682 pregnant women who delivered, 1550 underwent preanesthetic evaluation. There were 42 deliveries in 39 pregnant women with spinal diseases (1.7% of all pregnant women and 2.7% of those who underwent preanesthetic evaluation). The diagnoses included adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (51.3%), lumbar disc herniation (23.1%), and others. The mode of delivery was the elective cesarean section in 5 cases, emergent cesarean section in 8 cases, and vaginal delivery in 29 cases. Only one case required general anesthesia. Of the 38 cases of labor analgesia, the neuraxial block was inadequate in 3 cases (7.9%) and technically difficult in 3 cases (7.9%). However, the patients complained of no lower extremity neuropathy, infection, or inadvertent dural puncture. DISCUSSION Neuraxial anesthesia was an option in most cases, even in pregnant women complicated with spinal disease, if an anesthesiologist's plan before delivery after careful preanesthetic evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adila Yakhup
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8431, Japan
| | - Hisako Okada
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Juntendo University Nerima Hospital, 3-1-10 Takanodai, Nerima-Ku, Tokyo, 177-8521, Japan.
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, 2-1-1, Tomioka, Urayasu, Chiba, 279-0021, Japan.
| | - Izumi Kawagoe
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Juntendo University Hospital, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8431, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Sumikura
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Juntendo University Hospital, 3-1-3 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8431, Japan
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Sciscent BY, Bhanja D, Daggubati LC, Ryan C, Hallan DR, Rizk EB. Pregnancy in spina bifida patients: a comparative analysis of peripartum procedures and complications. Childs Nerv Syst 2023; 39:625-632. [PMID: 36278978 DOI: 10.1007/s00381-022-05705-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Spina bifida (SB) is caused by a failure in neural tube closure that can present with lower extremity sensory deficits, paralysis, and hydrocephalus. Medical advances have allowed increased pregnancies among SB patients, but management and pregnancy-associated complications have not been thoroughly investigated. The objective is to delineate peripartum procedures and complications in patients with SB. METHODS A national de-identified database, TriNetX, was retrospectively queried to evaluate pregnant SB patients and the general population. Procedures and complications were investigated using corresponding ICD-10 and CPT codes within 1 year of pregnancy diagnosis. RESULTS 11,405 SB patients were identified and compared to 9,269,084 non-SB patients. SB patients were significantly more likely to undergo cesarean delivery (1.200; 95% CI [1.133-1.271]) and less likely to receive neuraxial analgesia (0.406; 95% CI [0.383-0.431]). Additionally, patients with SB had an increased risk of seizures (3.922; 95% CI [3.529-4.360]) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) (3.490; 95% CI [3.070-3.969]). Risks of preeclampsia and hemorrhage were comparable. SB patients with hydrocephalus and Chiari malformation type 1 (CM-1) or type 2 (CM-2) were compared to patients without these comorbid conditions. This sub-group analysis showed a significantly increased risk of having cesarean deliveries (SB with hydrocephalus: 12.55%, S.B. with CM-1 or CM-2: 12.81% vs. SB without hydrocephalus or CM, 6.16%) and VTE (3.74%, 2.43% vs. 0.81%). There were also increased risks of hemorrhage and seizures and decreased use of neuraxial analgesia, but the sample size was insufficient. CONCLUSION SB patients were more likely to undergo cesarean section and exhibit peripartum complications compared to those without SB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Y Sciscent
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State Health, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
- Penn State College of Medicine, 700 HMC Crescent Rd, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
| | - Debarati Bhanja
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State Health, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
- Penn State College of Medicine, 700 HMC Crescent Rd, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | | | - Casey Ryan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State Health, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - David R Hallan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State Health, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Elias B Rizk
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State Health, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
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Lee SY, Papanna R, Farmer D, Tsao K. Fetal Repair of Neural Tube Defects. Clin Perinatol 2022; 49:835-848. [PMID: 36328602 DOI: 10.1016/j.clp.2022.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Myelomeningocele is the most common congenital neurologic defect, and the only nonlethal disease addressed by fetal surgery. A randomized control trial has established amelioration of the Arnold-Chiari II malformation, reduced ventriculoperitoneal shunt rate, and improvement in distal neurologic function in patients that receive in utero repair. Long-term follow-up of these school-age children demonstrates the persistence of these effects. The use of stem cells in fetal repair is being investigated to further improve distal motor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Yeon Lee
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric, Thoracic and Fetal Surgery, University of California Davis Medical Center, 2335 Stockton Boulevard, Room 5107, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
| | - Ramesha Papanna
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, UT Health Science Center at Houston, 6410 Fannin Street, Suite 210, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Diana Farmer
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis Medical Center, 2335 Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - KuoJen Tsao
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, UT Health Science Center at Houston, 6410 Fannin Street, Suite 950, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Tong CMC, Dew ME, Zimmerman KD, Hopson BD, Blount JP, Rocque BG, Arynchyna A, Wilson T, Joseph D, Dangle P, Powell D, McLain A. A qualitative interview study on successful pregnancies in women with spina bifida. J Pediatr Urol 2022; 18:3.e1-3.e7. [PMID: 34862130 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpurol.2021.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improvements in antenatal medicine and surgical management for conditions associated with spina bifida such as hydrocephalus have extended the lifespan for individuals with spina bifida (SB) into adulthood. Decisions and education regarding reproductive care and pregnancies for patients with spina bifida are increasingly important. Pregnancy in these patients can be particularly challenging due to physical limitations, previous abdominal surgery for urinary or bowel management and presence of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. To date, little research has examined the unique challenges that women with spina bifida face during pregnancy. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this descriptive study is to characterize the successful pregnancy histories of SB women and describe how pregnancy affected their mobility as well as bladder and bowel management. STUDY DESIGN We conducted semi-structured interviews with women followed in our adult multidisciplinary SB clinic who previously had successful pregnancies. Questions regarding perinatal issues, obstetrical complications, urinary tract infections (UTI) and neurological changes were asked. Baseline mobility, bladder and bowel management were compared with changes during and after pregnancy. RESULTS 121 women of childbearing age were followed per year by our adult multidisciplinary spina bifida clinic between 2009 and 2016. We identified 6 women who successfully carried 8 pregnancies to term. There were no miscarriages. Four women had ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts. No children were born with neural tube defects. Mean age at first pregnancy was 23.5 years. Average gestational age at delivery was 37 weeks. 50% of the women had a spontaneous vaginal delivery. Five of six women intended to get pregnant; only one patient consumed folic acid regularly prior to pregnancy. Two of six women had bladder augmentation surgery, one of whom had urologic changes during pregnancy that persisted after childbirth. The other patient had a concomitant bladder neck sling procedure and did not have urologic issues during pregnancy. 50% of the patients experienced bladder-bowel dysfunction during their pregnancy. While 67% patients had full baseline ambulatory function, 4 patients had decreased mobility and required additional assistance during pregnancy. All returned to their baseline functionality afterwards. CONCLUSION Six of our patients had eight successful pregnancies, with no children born with neural tube defects. New changes to mobility, bladder and bowel management were experienced by over half of the women during their pregnancies. Future studies should focus on the role of multidisciplinary teams in reproductive health education and perinatal management of changes to activities of daily living during pregnancy in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Morgan E Dew
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Kathrin D Zimmerman
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Betsy D Hopson
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Jeffrey P Blount
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Brandon G Rocque
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Anastasia Arynchyna
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Tracey Wilson
- Department of Urology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - David Joseph
- Department of Urology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Pankaj Dangle
- Department of Urology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Danielle Powell
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
| | - Amie McLain
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States
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Hong ZH, Jin DH, Yuan XJ, Zhao Y, Lin HW, Chen J. Association of neural tube defects with congenital abnormalities of the urogenital system in a Chinese cohort. BMC Pediatr 2021; 21:66. [PMID: 33546634 PMCID: PMC7863264 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-021-02492-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the correlation between congenital abnormality of the urogenital system and various factors in children with neural tube defects (NTDs). Methods A total of 190 children with congenital NTDs, who were admitted to a hospital from May 2013 to May 2018, were included into the present study. All admitted children with congenital NTDs were carried out routine abdominal B-ultrasound examinations to determine the malformations of the abdominal organs, including the urinary system. Children with a B-ultrasound result of suspected and unsure malformation underwent intravenous pyelography (IVP) and voiding cysto-urethrography (VCU), and this was further confirmed by the CT results. Results The incidence of urogenital malformation was 12.1% (23/190) in children with congenital NTDs. For the 23 children with urogenital malformations, most of these children had no definite urinary system symptoms, while some of these children had multiple incidences of urinary system infections. Conclusions Congenital NTDs are often combined with urogenital malformations, if not specifically searched these may be overlooked. The early detection of these malformations is beneficial to reduce the risk of operation and improve the prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Hua Hong
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, No. 2468, Zhonghuan East Road, Nanhu District, 314051, Jiaxing, China.
| | - Dong-Hui Jin
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, No. 2468, Zhonghuan East Road, Nanhu District, 314051, Jiaxing, China
| | - Xiao-Jian Yuan
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, No. 2468, Zhonghuan East Road, Nanhu District, 314051, Jiaxing, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, No. 2468, Zhonghuan East Road, Nanhu District, 314051, Jiaxing, China.,Department of Pediatric Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiaxing Branch, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 314051, Jiaxing, China
| | - Hou-Wei Lin
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, No. 2468, Zhonghuan East Road, Nanhu District, 314051, Jiaxing, China.,Department of Pediatric Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiaxing Branch, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 314051, Jiaxing, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, No. 2468, Zhonghuan East Road, Nanhu District, 314051, Jiaxing, China.,Department of Pediatric Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Jiaxing Branch, Shanghai Jiaotong University, 314051, Jiaxing, China
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Gotha L, Pruthi V, Abbasi N, Kulkarni AV, Church P, Drake JM, Carvalho JCA, Diambomba Y, Thakur V, Ryan G, Van Mieghem T. Fetal spina bifida: What we tell the parents. Prenat Diagn 2020; 40:1499-1507. [PMID: 32692418 DOI: 10.1002/pd.5802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide, about 150 000 infants are born with spina bifida yearly, making this condition one of the most common fetal central nervous system anomalies compatible with life. Over the last decade, major changes have been introduced in the prenatal diagnosis and management of spina bifida. In this review, we provide a brief summary of the current management of fetal spina bifida and present essential information that should be provided to expecting parents when their fetus has been diagnosed with spina bifida. This information is focused around common parental questions, as encountered in our typical clinical practice, to facilitate knowledge translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Gotha
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Vagisha Pruthi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Ontario Fetal Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nimrah Abbasi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Ontario Fetal Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Abhaya V Kulkarni
- Ontario Fetal Centre, Toronto, Canada.,Division of Neurosurgery, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Paige Church
- Department of Pediatrics, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Holland-Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - James M Drake
- Ontario Fetal Centre, Toronto, Canada.,Division of Neurosurgery, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jose C A Carvalho
- Ontario Fetal Centre, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Anesthesia, Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yenge Diambomba
- Ontario Fetal Centre, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Varsha Thakur
- Ontario Fetal Centre, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Cardiology, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Greg Ryan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Ontario Fetal Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Tim Van Mieghem
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Ontario Fetal Centre, Toronto, Canada
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Houtrow A, Roland M. Sexual health and education guidelines for the care of people with spina bifida. J Pediatr Rehabil Med 2020; 13:611-619. [PMID: 33361622 PMCID: PMC7838962 DOI: 10.3233/prm-200743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual development is not only comprised of the changes to a person's body during puberty; it is a part of social development and should be considered in the context of basic and routine human desires for connectedness and intimacy, beliefs, values and aspirations. As is true for everyone, it is important that individuals with spina bifida have opportunities to acquire developmentally appropriate, relevant and accurate sexual health knowledge. Those with spina bifida need to be able to negotiate sexual desire, intimacy and sexual expression. They also need education about their sexual health and how to limit the negative outcomes of sexual activity related to sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancy or sexual coercion, violence, abuse or exploitation. This article discusses the Spina Bifida Sexual Health and Education Healthcare Guidelines from the 2018 Spina Bifida Association's Fourth Edition of the Guidelines for the Care of People with Spina Bifida using the World Health Organization's framing of sexual health and reviews the literature on sexual health and education for individuals with spina bifida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Houtrow
- Pediatrics and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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