Children with meningomyelocele become adults!

The survival for children with spina bifida has dramatically increased during the last 30 years. In Sweden today 40-50 adolescents with spina bifida are reaching adulthood each year the next 10 years. Children with spina bifida are from birth to adulthood followed by a multidisciplinary medical and paramedical team within the habilitation organisation. However, from the age of 18 this responsibility is discontinued, often with less readiness in adult medicine to meet the spina bifida adolescents and their special needs. Facing adolescence and adulthood both children and parents need a careful preparation from several points of view for the transition. It is also most important to prepare the adult medical disciplines about the special needs of this group. This process has to start early to reach successful management, including improvement in self-care.