The First World Congress on Spina Bifida Research and Care convened in March 2009. Medical and other healthcare professionals took the next steps in developing and translating research to improve our system of healthcare for those living with Spina Bifida.

Among many other research findings released, one of the most potentially impactful findings presented during the three-day Congress was a revised figure on the number of Americans living with one of the various forms of Spina Bifida. Preliminary findings from a study conducted at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that instead of the 70,000 figure which has been widely used, the actual number is closer to 185,000 living in this country with this challenging birth defect. For more information on this and other research outcomes, please visit http://medicalconference.spinabifidaassociation.org.