Guidance
Spina bifida: information for parents
Information for pregnant women whose baby may have spina bifida, including treatment options.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
This leaflet explains spina bifida, a condition screened for by the NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme.
Information in the leaflet includes:
- what spina bifida is, and how common it is
- how the condition is diagnosed and confirmed
- what treatment is available
- what the outlook for the baby is
- what happens next
- how likely it is to happen in future pregnancies
To request another format, you can phone 0300 311 22 33 or email england.contactus@nhs.net.
Updates to this page
Published 18 February 2019
Last updated 6 March 2026
show all updates
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Added information on requesting other formats.
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Changed lead organisation to NHS England. Removed references to PHE.
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Replaced PDF with an updated HTML version.
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First published.