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OBJECTIVE: Reports on the management and survival of children with myelomeningocele defects in Bangladesh are limited. This study describes the characteristics and outcomes of these children, focusing on the timing of surgical repair and factors affecting survival. METHODS: We enrolled patients with myelomeningoceles in a case-control study on arsenic exposure and spina bifida in Bangladesh. Cases were subsequently followed at regular intervals to assess survival. Demographic, clinical, and surgical characteristics were reviewed. Univariate tests identified factors affecting survival. RESULTS: Between 2016 and 2022, we enrolled 272 patients with myelomeningocele. Postnatal surgical repair was performed in 63% of cases. However, surgery within 5 days after birth was infrequent (<10%) due to delayed presentation, and there was a high rate (29%) of preoperative deaths. Surgical repair significantly improved patient survival (P < 0.0001). Older age at time of surgery was also associated with improved survival rates, which most likely represents that those who survived to older ages prior to surgery accommodated better with their lesions. Patients who presented with ruptured lesions had lower survival rates. CONCLUSIONS: Timely neurosurgical repair of myelomeningoceles in Bangladesh is hindered by late patient presentation, resulting in a high preoperative patient death rate. Neurosurgical intervention remains a significant predictor of survival. Increased access to neurosurgical care and education of families and non-neurosurgical providers on the need for timely surgical intervention are important for improving the survival of infants with myelomeningoceles.
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Background: Spina bifida, a developmental malformation of the spinal cord, is associated with high rates of mortality and disability. Although folic acid-based preventive strategies have been successful in reducing rates of spina bifida, some areas continue to be at higher risk because of chemical exposures. Bangladesh has high arsenic exposures through contaminated drinking water and high rates of spina bifida. Methods: We conducted a hospital-based case-control study at the National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital (NINS&H) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, between December 2016 and December 2022. Cases were infants under age one year with spina bifida and further classified using data from observations by neurosurgeons and available imaging. Controls were drawn from children who presented to NINS&H or Dhaka Shishu Hospital (DSH) during the same study period. Mothers reported folic acid use during pregnancy, and we assessed folate status with serum assays. Arsenic exposure was estimated in drinking water using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GF-AAS) and in toenails using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: We evaluated data from 294 cases of spina bifida and 163 controls. We did not find a main effect of mother's arsenic exposure on spina bifida risk. However, in stratified analyses, folic acid use was associated with lower odds of spina bifida (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.25-1.00, p = 0.05) among women with toenail arsenic concentrations below the median, and no association was seen among mothers with toenail arsenic concentrations higher than median (adjusted OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.52-2.29, p = 0.82). Conclusions: Mother's arsenic exposure modified the protective association of folic acid with spina bifida. Increased surveillance and additional preventive strategies, such as folic acid fortification and reduction of arsenic, are needed in areas of high arsenic exposure.
