What do you cover a myelomeningocele with?
The family can hold the infant in the prone position, provided the sac is protected. 6. Leave dressing in place over sac until the neurosurgeon examines the infant. Thereafter, maintain a saline soaked dressing covering the sac using moist, sterile wet telfa (no betadine).
Which is included in the plan of care for a newborn who has a myelomeningocele?
Babies born with a meningocele or a myelomeningocele usually require care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for evaluation and for surgery to close the defect.
How do you treat myelomeningocele?
Most cases of myelomeningocele are treated surgically with a repair soon after birth. In some cases, the repair is done while still in the womb prior to delivery. Children that have hydrocephalus will likely require surgery to decrease fluid on the brain (VP shunt).
Does myelomeningocele require surgery?
The sac is often covered by skin and may require surgery. This is the rarest type of spina bifida. Myelomeningocele accounts for about 75% of all spina bifida cases. This is the most severe form of the condition in which a portion of the spinal cord itself protrudes through the back.
Can someone with myelomeningocele walk?
People affected by spina bifida get around in different ways. These include walking without any aids or assistance; walking with braces, crutches or walkers; and using wheelchairs. People with spina bifida higher on the spine (near the head) might have paralyzed legs and use wheelchairs.
Is myelomeningocele curable?
Currently, there is no cure for spina bifida, but there are a number of treatments available to help manage the disease and prevent complications. In some cases, if diagnosed before birth, the baby can undergo surgery while still in the womb in an effort to repair or minimize the spinal defect.
Which assessment is a priority for a child with a myelomeningocele?
Priority should be given to the evaluation for increased intracranial pressure by evaluating the ventricular shunt. Based on expert opinion, the care of children born with myelomeningocele should be provided within the medical home as well as with multidisciplinary teams of specialists.
What is important when caring for a child with myelomeningocele in the preoperative stage?
It is important that the baby be handled carefully to protect the exposed spinal cord. This may include using a protective device and special positioning. An operation to close the defect will be done within the first 48 hours to preserve the neural tissue and to prevent infection.
When is surgery done for myelomeningocele?
Myelomeningocele repair, also known as fetal spina bifida repair, is a surgery to close the spinal defect during pregnancy. It is typically performed between 19 and 26 weeks gestation.
Is myelomeningocele painful?
back pain or pain at the myelomeningocele site. neck pain, trouble swallowing, or voice changes.
Can babies with myelomeningocele breastfeed?
“This study demonstrates that with appropriate evidence-based breastfeeding interventions, mothers having infants with myelomeningocele can expect to feed their infants human milk as well as direct breastfeed,” said the study’s lead investigator Diane L.