Survival and mobility in open spina bifida: Comparison of results from the United States and the United Kingdom

The prognosis for survival in spina bifida is an important issue for life-care planners and care-givers. This study documents and compares long-term survival in open spina bifida in California, United States of America, and Cambridge, United Kingdom and investigates the relation between mobility in childhood and long-term survival. Survival after the age 6 years was similar in the two series, with a mortality rate of approximately 1% per year. Data from the California series showed that long-term survival was associated with gross motor function, specifically the ability to crawl or to stand without support. In the Cambridge cohort, mobility at mean age 9 years was a significant predictor of survival at the mean age of 35 years. We conclude that better gross motor function is associated with longer survival in open spina bifida.