Your child will usually need to spend about 2 weeks in the hospital after surgery. The child must lay flat without touching the wound area. After surgery, your child will receive antibiotics to prevent infection.

MRI or ultrasound of the brain is repeated after surgery to see if hydrocephalus develops once the defect in the back is repaired.

Your child may need physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Many children with these problems have gross (large) and fine (small) motor disabilities, and swallowing problems, early in life.

The child may need to see a team of medical experts in spina bifida often after they are discharged from the hospital.

How well a child does depends on the initial condition of their spinal cord and nerves. After a meningocele repair, children often do very well and have no further brain, nerve, or muscle problems.

Children born with myelomeningocele usually have paralysis or weakness of the muscles below the level of their spine where the defect is. They also may not be able to control their bladder or bowels. They will likely need medical and educational support for many years.

The ability to walk and control bowel and bladder function depends where the birth defect was on the spine. Defects lower down on the spinal cord may have a better outcome.