sacral dimples

[MsBug]

Hi, wasn't sure of the best place to post this.

My dd has a little dimple just above her bumhole. I recently discovered this is called a sacral dimple and is a very mild form of spina bifida! Dd is two and I have no concerns about her development, but we are planning to TTC again in the new year and I've already started folic acid but wondered if there is anything else I should do - the spina bifida association website says that women with a baby with spina bifida should take extra folic acid,should I be taking extra or is this just if your baby had the full disease?

Thanks

Bump - anyone had this?

Bumping for you

I have never read that but 2 of my 5 children do - and I do I thought they just got it from me!

Hi DS had this. If you're concerned then go to GP.

I was told that it only may be a sign of spina bifida, that they look for whether they can see the "base" of the simple to determine whether further tests are needed.

DS had a scan to check there were no abnormalities in the underlying part of his spine which thankfully there wasn't.

Obviously I meant dimple rather than simple but apparently my phone disagreed.

If the base of the dimple is visible, it's in the midline and close to the bottom, with normal development then it's nothing at all to worry about. Your GP should be able to take a look and reassure you.

In theory, yes it is related to spina bifida, but only in the sense that the layers of tissue and skin over the spine fuse in turn. To use a knitting analogy: the sacral dimple is a kink in the last stitch in the last row; spina bifida is a great massive hole in the scarf.

No need to take the high dose folic acid unless there are other indications to do so (but no harm in it either as far as I know).

Thanks for your replies and reassurance.

I can see the base of dd's dimple, it is v close to her bottom and halfway across, so it sounds like it is fine.

Her development is normal, she walked at about 15 months so slightly on the late side but I was never concerned.

Dd has this and so do I. I was told to take a higher dose of frolic acid if I had another pregnancy.

Bloody ipad.

Folic not frolic.

My mum has SBO, she didn't find out until her late 20s and was a hurdler at school so it's not affected her too badly. I was on the high dose of folic acid which was prescribed to me by the GP. If she's not been diagnosed with SBO I'd see the GP anyway, maybe book a double appointment so you can ask about folic acid for yourself at the same time.

So maybe it's worth a gp visit? It maybe relevant that dd was slightly premature so it could just be that her spine hadn't quite finished knitting together?

I would talk to the GP, if you do need the higher dose they need to give it you. As for prematurity, I wouldn't even like to guess even with four of my own.