Factors Identified That Affect Life Expectancy in Open Spina Bifida

THURSDAY, Feb. 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Factors such as ambulatory and feeding ability and bowel/bladder continence affect life expectancy in people with open spina bifida, according to a study published online Feb. 11 in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.Robert M. Shavelle, Ph.D., from the Life Expectancy Project in San Francisco, California, and colleagues estimated life expectancy for individuals with open spina bifida in a study using extensive data from 1,659 persons in California from 1986 to 2019. Empirical mortality rates were calculated and rates were also derived from various cohorts; life expectancies were obtained following construction of life tables.The researchers observed significant variation in survival by ambulatory and feeding ability and by bowel/bladder continence. At age 5 years, the life expectancy was 27 and 65 additional years for men in the most severely impaired and least severely impaired groups, respectively, compared with 70 years in the general population. A modest secular trend was observed, with mortality decreasing by about 1 percent per year; life expectancy calculations accounted for this trend."We confirmed that survival in spina bifida depends critically on the severity of impairment, especially motor function, feeding ability, and continence," the authors write.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Factors Identified That Affect Life Expectancy in Open Spina Bifida

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