I thought it was just a small boil, but unexpectedly, 1-year-old Wenwen almost became paralyzed.

The doctor said that the "boil" on Wenwen's back was not left by a poisonous insect, but a congenital disease called "spinal cord neural tube insufficiency". If not treated in time, it would paralyze.

Shen Zhipeng, a neurosurgeon from the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University, said that the disease was common in their operating room, but the incidence was not high among the general population, so doctors from other departments and grass-roots hospitals generally did not expect it.

Wenwen's experience made them sigh, and his condition was also typical, so they would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that if there are holes, depressions, red spots, or hair on the line from the top of the head to the bottom, the spine, take the child to the relevant specialist as soon as possible.

　　 One year old child suddenly can't walk

Wenwen is 16 months old.

Children of this age have just learned to walk, and they like to explore everywhere with adults' hands. But somehow, from a month ago, Wenwen suddenly didn't want to walk. Later, he couldn't stand, let alone walk.

More than a week ago, Wenwen was sent to Zhejiang University Children's Hospital by his family because of fever.

When he found that he could not walk, the neurologist gave Wen Wen an MRI. The result was a shock: the spine below the tenth segment of the thoracic spine had a huge degeneration, which means that the child may have hemiplegia below the chest.

The doctor immediately asked the neurosurgeon for consultation. The neurosurgeon saw the film and thought that the nerve tube was not fully closed. They had encountered hundreds of such patients.

Wang Ning, deputy chief doctor of neurosurgery of Zhejiang University Children's Hospital, explained that the nervous system began to develop around 2-3 weeks of pregnancy, and the nerve plate slowly rolled up and closed to form a neural tube. "Incomplete closure at any place in the process may induce malformations of the central nervous system." Wang Ning said that according to the degree of malformation, the severe malformation may cause anencephaly, and the mild malformation may cause spinal dysplasia.

In Wen Wen's case, in addition to the incomplete closure of the neural tube, there is also a cyst in the spine. For more than a year, the "pus" it secreted has spread to the chest. From the film, it can be seen that the spinal cord has swollen and degenerated.

The doctor said that Wenwen might be paralyzed in the future if he was not treated.

　　 Deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B12 may cause this disease in babies

Last Monday, the doctor operated on Wen Wen. Yesterday morning, the reporter saw Wen Wen in the ward. Although he could not stand up, his two legs were obviously more active.

The doctor said that although the operation was very successful, some of the injuries caused by aseptic inflammation that had lasted for more than a year were irreversible, and Wenwen still needed a long period of rehabilitation treatment.

　　 Why did Wenwen get this disease? Can prenatal examination find out?

Wang Ning said that incomplete neural tube closure is a congenital neurodevelopmental malformation, some of which can be found through prenatal inspection, but some minor lesions may not be found through prenatal inspection.

There are many speculations about the etiology, such as genetics, but they are not clear. It is clear that incomplete neural tube closure is related to the lack of folic acid and vitamin B12.

"It is recommended that pregnant women who have a tendency to lack folic acid should take vitamin B12 and folic acid supplements in a certain period of time before pregnancy, which will help prevent this kind of disease," Wang Ning said.

　　 Attention should be paid to small pinholes on the spine line of children

Wang Ning told reporters that neural tube dysraphism includes both overt and covert, and the situation of Wenwen is covert.

He showed the reporter the information pictures in the computer: some children have a bag the size of a fist on their back, and some have a small tail on their buttocks - these can be found after birth;

Some looked like they had been bitten by a poisonous insect, while others only had a small hole on their back the size of a needle eye, which was difficult to find.

When Wen Wen was just born, his mother found a small needle eye on his back. She also took him to the local hospital at that time, but the doctor did not realize it was the disease.

"The incidence of this disease is not high, about 2 to 3 ‰, and it is very professional, so doctors in grass-roots hospitals did not pay attention to it," Shen Zhipeng said.

Wang Ning also reminded adults and some doctors who are not specialized in neurosurgery: if there are small lesions, small depressions, even small erythema, or long hair on the skin 1-2 cm from the top of the head, along the spine to the anus, the midline of the spine, or on the skin 1-2 cm from the side, you must pay attention to it and take the child to the specialist for examination.

"If it can be found and treated within three months, the child's prognosis will be very good, just like normal children," he said.