Friends of Pediatrics along with the International Hospital for Children today held a symposium on spina bifida and hydrocepahlus, more commonly known as "water head." This is a condition where children develop a swelling in the brain as a result of an accumulation of fluid inside the head causing it to swell to abnormally large sizes. Spina bifida is a related condition where spinal fluid leaks from either a hole or a sack on the backs of children. Both these afflictions were discussed at the symposium, and Dr. Egbert Grinage today told us that these conditions go largely unnoticed in Belize but they do occur quite frequently.
Dr. Egbert Grinage, Friends of Pediatrics
“Spina bifida as you may not know is a condition in which the spinal cord fails to close properly in the early part of the pregnancy when the baby is inside the mom and the spinal cord can be left protruding on the back. This creates all kinds of problems with the muscles, the legs, the ability to walk, the brain, the kidneys, the bladder, and the bowel. And what we are trying to do here today is to teach local healthcare providers so that that they can care better for children with spina bifida in Belize.”
“Well spina bifida has an international incidence of one in every 1000 pregnancies. It is one of the most common congenital malformations; meaning something that the baby is born with. In Belize so far we have counted at least 60 or more children with spina bifida and or water head so its very common.”
“Our studies show right now that very few kids in Belize with spina bifida or water head are living beyond the age of 15 years and that’s not good because internationally they are living to adulthood.”
“We are doing both the curative and preventative arm, so to speak. Curative is that we are trying to educate ourselves, educate our fellow healthcare providers, and to improve the management of the condition in Belize and all in one setting so that the parent does not have to go from one healthcare provider or from one specialist to the next. And also as a result of this clinic we will put in place folic acid supplementation program for women of Belize with the help of the Ministry of Health.”
On Saturday and Sunday, a clinic will be held at the KHMH by a team of 11 foreign specialists including pediatricians, physiotherapists, orthopedic specialists and nurses.