Impact of CoVID-19 pandemic on multidisciplinary follow-up and clinical outcomes among pediatric spina bifida patients

The longitudinal, multidisciplinary care of children with spina bifida was disrupted during the CoVID-19 pandemic with unclear effect. To compare outpatient care utilization and outcomes among children with spina bifida before and during the CoVID-19 pandemic. A pre-post analysis (2018–2020 vs 2020–2022) comparing outpatient care utilization and clinical outcomes was performed using the onset of the CoVID-19 pandemic as a hinge point. Clinical visits and clinically significant events – ED visits, admissions, UTIs, shunt malfunctions – were tabulated from chart review, and patients not seen in the last two years were called for follow up. Differences between visits and outcomes for individuals during pre- and intra-pandemic periods were calculated, and relationships between demographic variables and care utilization as well as clinical visits and clinical outcomes were evaluated via linear regression. A total of 216 patients were included, 39 (18%) of whom were lost to follow up intra-pandemic. Mean in-person visits decreased from 3.7 (SD 2.8) pre-pandemic to 2.5 (SD 2.3, p