Is congenital scoliosis serious?
Congenital scoliosis occurs when the vertebrae do not form normally before a baby is born. This type of scoliosis can vary in severity from mild to life threatening.
What causes congenital scoliosis?
What causes congenital scoliosis? Abnormal development causes the condition. It occurs when bony spinal segments or vertebrae fail to form properly, seemingly creating “extra” segments, or when normally separate vertebrae fuse together during fetal development.
Can congenital scoliosis be cured?
For young children with congenital scoliosis, spinal surgery to implant growing rods offers a dual benefit: correcting the spinal curve and allowing continued growth of the spine. Growing rod surgery is done through the back of the spine.
Does congenital scoliosis get worse with age?
Scoliosis is prone to aggravating with the passage of time, especially if it is left untreated. The progression of this condition can happen at any age. In other words, it doesn’t affect only children and teenagers who are still going through growth spurts, but rather it can still worsen in adulthood and even old age.
Is congenital scoliosis painful?
Symptoms. Congenital scoliosis is often detected during the pediatrician’s examination at birth because of a slight abnormality of the back. Scoliosis is not painful, so if the curvature is not detected at birth, it can go undetected until there are obvious signs — which could be as late as adolescence.
Is congenital scoliosis hereditary?
Congenital scoliosis does not seem to run in families. Genetic studies to date have not yielded much evidence that this condition can be inherited. Although congenital scoliosis is often discovered during the infant or toddler period, in some children it does not diagnosed until their adolescent years.
Does scoliosis affect brain?
Scoliosis prevents the recirculation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to your brain. Reduced levels of CSF in the brain can intensify a simple tension headache into a full-blown migraine.
Does scoliosis affect life expectancy?
Most people with scoliosis are able to live normal lives and can do most activities, including exercise and sports. The condition does not usually cause significant pain or any other health problems, and tends to stay the same after you stop growing – see a GP if it gets any worse.
What is congenital scoliosis?
The term congenital scoliosis is a misleading one. It implies that there is always spinal curvature at birth, when in fact only bone malformations are present at birth in all patients with congenital scoliosis.
Is severe scoliosis a disability?
Severe scoliosis can be disabling. An especially severe spinal curve can reduce the amount of space within the chest, making it difficult for the lungs to function properly. Children who have mild scoliosis are monitored closely, usually with X-rays, to see if the curve is getting worse. In many cases, no treatment is necessary.
Is scoliosis hereditary or non hereditary?
In most cases congenital scolioses are non-hereditary [29, 32]. Congenital scoliosis is believed to be related to an insult to the fetus during spine embryological development (between the 5th and 8th week of gestation).
How does scoliosis affect the body?
In severe scoliosis, the rib cage may press against the lungs, making it more difficult to breathe. Back problems. People who had scoliosis as children may be more likely to have chronic back pain as adults, especially if their abnormal curves are large and untreated.