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by needlesurgeon 2585 days ago
When we talk about clinical trials, we are often interested in answering (1) a primary outcome, which is articulated as a specific yes/no questions based on a measurable clinical outcome, and then (2) a series secondary outcomes, which are answers to auxiliary answers. Clinical trials are usually designed to answer a specific question for a specific population.

Many (actually, most) children born with myelomeningoceles will develop hydrocephalus, which is a mismatch between spinal fluid production and resorption. This is usually treated using a ventriculoperitoneal shunt -- a shunt that diverts fluid from the brain to the abdominal cavity. Shunts can be life saving, but most eventually stop working and need to be surgically revised.

The MOMS trial compared the need for VP shunt and mortality between pre-natal surgery and the standard practice (i.e. post-natal surgery). So: unfortunately, the results of this trial do not generalize to your situation.

However, many academic medical institutions with neurosurgical and rehab departments have ongoing studies related to spinal cord injuries. There are a variety of surgeries that can help people with spinal cord dysfunction who have specific clinical problems (e.g. bladder control, contractures, etc.).

There are also clinical trials that have looked at restorative neurotechnologies for people with spinal cord dysfunction. For instance, check out:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30382196

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30462658