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Message from the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health
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National Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Awareness Month
June, 2011
June is National Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Awareness Month. It is an opportunity to learn more about these two medical conditions and the ways they can be prevented.
Spina bifida is a neural tube birth defect which occurs when the neural tube fails to close properly during the early weeks of pregnancy. Hydrocephalus, sometimes referred to as "water on the brain", is an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid that is caused by a blockage in the drainage pathways which are in and around the brain and spinal cord. Although most babies born with these conditions survive, they may experience life-long health problems and may require extensive medical and surgical treatments.
There is no single known cause for spina bifida or hydrocephalus, but proper nutrition and vitamin supplements before conception and in the first weeks of pregnancy can help reduce the risk of neural tube defects.
All women of child-bearing age who think they could become pregnant should take a daily multivitamin containing 0.4 mg of folic acid in the months before conception. In addition, women should follow Canada's Food Guide and include natural sources of folic acid, such as whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, dried beans, leaf vegetables and fruits in their diet. Women who become pregnant should continue taking a daily multivitamin containing 0.4 mg of folic acid or talk to their prenatal care provider about a vitamin supplement that meets their specific needs.
A healthy pregnancy will give a child the best possible start in life. Information about 
healthy pregnancies is found on the Public Health Agency of Canada website. The government has also invested in the study of neurological diseases and, in the past 10 years, has provided close to $11 million to grant and research awards relating to spina bifida and hydrocephalus.
I encourage Canadians to learn more about healthy pregnancy during Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Awareness Month, and to be fully aware of the steps that can be taken to decrease the risk of neural tube birth defects.
Leona Aglukkaq
Minister of Health
