Continence, friends, marriage and children in 51 adults with spina bifida

Fifty-one adults with spina bifida (28 men and 23 women aged between 17 and 56 years) were interviewed in their own homes in South Wales. 17 were completely continent, 10 were incontinent and the remainder were continent to some degree. Seven of the 51 had no close friends but almost half the total had five or more close friends. Of the 29 who were unmarried, nine had a steady relationship but 13 felt that they were disqualified from such a relationship because of their disabilities. 11 men and 11 women were married and a total of 39 pregnancies had come to term, resulting in 32 normal children, five stillbirths (two with anencephaly) and two children with spina bifida. The risk of having an affected offspring when one of the parents has spina bifida (based on the combined London, Munster and Cardiff series) is 1 in 23. It is suggested that the children now growing up who have received 'total care' will be more handicapped than the adults in this series.