Daily News Roundup

Friday, February 11th, 2011

Snow days push back the end of many school years
From Evanston to Lincolnshire, several school districts this week delayed the final day of classes, retooled the end-of-year exam schedule and even pushed back the start of summer school. State law requires that school districts build 185 days into their calendars to ensure that students are actually seated, in class, for 176 days a school year. The added time typically includes five days to account for anything from snow-slicked roads to a broken boiler. But the blizzard’s impact went beyond school calendars. About a dozen school districts contacted the Illinois State Board of Education to request a delay in the state standardized tests that initially were slated to begin later this month. (Chicago Tribune)

Real cooties? Boys catch flu from boys, study says
If your 7-year-old son comes home from school with flu, he probably caught it from another boy rather than one of the girls, says new research that sheds light on how the flu virus spreads. Scientists researching the spread of H1N1 in an elementary school classroom found that boys typically transmit the infection to other boys and girls pass it on to girls. In fact, grade-school guys are three times more likely to spread flu to classmates of the same sex than the opposite sex, according to a recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (MSNBC)

Surgery in womb spares babies worst effects of spine defect
A landmark study shows that an operation to fix a hole in the spine while the fetus is still in the womb leads to better outcomes for children with spina bifida. The operation showed such a clear benefit over waiting until the infant is born that the study was stopped early. Though spina bifida is usually diagnosed before birth, the operation is typically done days after delivery. Quick surgery can prevent further harm but cannot reverse the nerve damage that has already occurred. “There are significant risks,” said pediatric surgeon Dr. Diana Farmer of UC San Francisco. “So this procedure is not for everyone.” (MSNBC)
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Prenatal Surgery Now Possible to Correct Spina Bifida

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

A new study released by the National Institutes of Health and published in The New England Journal of Medicine revealed fetal surgery (surgery performed on a fetus while it’s still in the uterus) is now possible to reduce complications from spina bifida after birth.

Spina bifida is a common birth defect where the fetus’s spine does not form fully or close completely around the spinal cord, often leaving an opening in the vertebrae. Babies born with various types of spina bifida are at risk for dangerous excess brain fluid, brain and physical deformities, loss of bladder control, trouble walking, and paralysis.  

Traditionally, postnatal surgeries (surgeries after birth) are performed to correct spina bifida, which includes using a tube (shunt) to drain the fluid.  Now, by closing the opening during fetal surgery, the chance for excess brain fluid can be reduced and the ability to walk without crutches, braces, or other orthotics can be increased.

For the study, 183 mothers who had fetuses with myelomeningocele volunteered for the study.  Myelomeningocele is the most severe form of spina bifida where the spine protrudes through an opening in the spinal column and is enclosed in a fluid-filled sac. The women were divided randomly into two groups: one group underwent prenatal surgery (at 26 weeks of pregnancy) while the other underwent postnatal surgery. 

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