Approximately 10% to 20% of the U.S. population has spina bifida (SB), and about 1,500 babies are born with it every year. Spina bifida is a condition in which the neural tube that eventually develops into the brain and spinal cord doesn’t close completely during the first month of pregnancy. This lack of closure can result in a variety of health issues, including kidney disease.*

How can spina bifida cause kidney disease?

Because the brain is unable to receive urination signals through the spinal cord from nerves surrounding the bladder, the bladder can neither store nor empty urine effectively. This condition is known as a neurogenic bladder and is a major risk factor for progressive kidney damage.

A neurogenic bladder can cause:

• Frequent urinary tract infections
• High bladder pressure
• Bladder-sphincter dysfunction
• Backflow of urine into the kidneys 

These symptoms can further lead to:

• Hydronephrosis (a swollen kidney due to poor urine drainage)
• Pyelonephritis (a urinary tract infection that travels to the kidneys)
• Scarring of the kidney

Urinary tract issues are the leading cause of kidney failure in people with SB. 

How can SB influence kidney failure and life expectancy?

Babies with SB often have normal kidney function at birth, but symptoms will develop.

Children with SB are likely to experience:

• Obesity
• Constipation or other bowel health issues
• Pressure sores, due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies

Approximately 26% of adult SB patients develop kidney damage that can progress to kidney failure and the need for renal replacement therapy such as dialysis or kidney transplantation. 

People with spina bifida generally have the same life expectancy on dialysis as people without SB. Although SB patients appear less likely to receive kidney transplants, the transplants they do receive last for around the same length of time as they do for recipients without spina bifida.

How can I keep my kidneys healthy with SB?

The cause of spina bifida is unknown, and there is no cure, but people living with SB can help protect their kidneys by following a kidney-friendly diet and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle from as early an age as possible. If your kidney disease progresses to kidney failure, expect to adjust your diet again post-transplant. 

Other healthy habits include:

• Getting sufficient regular exercise  
• Not smoking
• Limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake
• Managing your stress in productive ways

*Thibadeau, J., and Hoppe, B. (n.d.). Spina Bifida and Kidney Disease. American Kidney Fund. https://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-today/spina-bifida-and-kidney-disease.html