What are the signs and symptoms of spina bifida?

The symptoms of spina bifida vary from person to person, depending on the type.  Often, individuals with occulta have no outward signs of the disorder.   Closed neural tube defects are often recognized early in life due to an abnormal tuft or clump of hair or a small dimple or birthmark on the skin at the site of the spinal malformation.

Meningocele and myelomeningocele generally involve a fluid-filled sac-visible on the back-protruding from the spinal cord.  In meningocele, the sac may be covered by a thin layer of skin, whereas in most cases of myelomeningocele, there is no layer of skin covering the sac and a section of spinal cord tissue usually is exposed.