Tragic plight of seven-month-old boy born with a spinal defect as he develops a 10 centimetre 'tail'
A seven-month-old boy is suffering with a
large growth that resembles a tail and it is growing longer every week. The
growth developed a result of the boy, named Xiao Wei, being born with spina
bifida. His mother Chen Wei, from Guangdong in Southern China, said
she has asked for the growth to be removed but surgeons say it isn't possible,
at least at the moment. She said: 'We have asked the surgeons to remove
the tail but they tell us it is not that simple.' Spina bifida or 'split spine'
is a fault in the development of the spine and spinal cord which leaves a gap
in the spine. The spinal cord is
responsible for connecting all parts of the body to the brain. In the first
month of life, a developing baby in the womb grows a structure called the
neural tube. It is this that will eventually form the spine and nervous system.
But in cases of spina bifida, the
spinal column - the bone that surrounds and protects the nerves - does
not fully close. The exact causes are unknown, but several risk factors have
been identified, the most significant being a lack of folic acid before and at
the very start of pregnancy. There are a number of different types of spina
bifida but Xiao has myelomeningocele, the most serious variant of the
condition. It affects one pregnancy in every 1,000 in Britain. Myelomeningocele
spina bifida causes the spinal column to remain open along the bones making up
the spine. The membranes and spinal cord push out to create a sac in the baby’s
back. This sometimes leaves the nervous system vulnerable to infections that
may be fatal.
In most cases surgery can be can close the
defect but damage to the nervous system will usually already have taken place,
resulting in a range of symptoms, including paralysis and incontinence. Chinese
medics say the growth at the base of Xiao's spine has been caused by damage to
the outer wall of the child's spinal canal. Surgeon Huang Chuanping explained:
'Xiao's growth is quite well developed and now measures some 10 centimetres.''If
we cut it off it will simply grow again. We need to repair the spinal canal
first to stop it reoccurring.'
A seven-month-old boy is suffering with a
large growth that resembles a tail and it is growing longer every week. The
growth developed a result of the boy, named Xiao Wei, being born with spina
bifida. His mother Chen Wei, from Guangdong in Southern China, said
she has asked for the growth to be removed but surgeons say it isn't possible,
at least at the moment. She said: 'We have asked the surgeons to remove
the tail but they tell us it is not that simple.' Spina bifida or 'split spine'
is a fault in the development of the spine and spinal cord which leaves a gap
in the spine. The spinal cord is
responsible for connecting all parts of the body to the brain. In the first
month of life, a developing baby in the womb grows a structure called the
neural tube. It is this that will eventually form the spine and nervous system.
But in cases of spina bifida, the
spinal column - the bone that surrounds and protects the nerves - does
not fully close. The exact causes are unknown, but several risk factors have
been identified, the most significant being a lack of folic acid before and at
the very start of pregnancy. There are a number of different types of spina
bifida but Xiao has myelomeningocele, the most serious variant of the
condition. It affects one pregnancy in every 1,000 in Britain. Myelomeningocele
spina bifida causes the spinal column to remain open along the bones making up
the spine. The membranes and spinal cord push out to create a sac in the baby’s
back. This sometimes leaves the nervous system vulnerable to infections that
may be fatal.
In most cases surgery can be can close the
defect but damage to the nervous system will usually already have taken place,
resulting in a range of symptoms, including paralysis and incontinence. Chinese
medics say the growth at the base of Xiao's spine has been caused by damage to
the outer wall of the child's spinal canal. Surgeon Huang Chuanping explained:
'Xiao's growth is quite well developed and now measures some 10 centimetres.''If
we cut it off it will simply grow again. We need to repair the spinal canal
first to stop it reoccurring.'
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