Yes, many babies with spina bifida move in the womb, but movement can vary with the type and level of the spinal lesion.
Why This Question Comes Up During Pregnancy
Hearing that a baby has spina bifida can shake parents. Alongside the shock, one of the first thoughts is can a baby with spina bifida move in the womb? Movement brings comfort during pregnancy, so any change or difference can feel worrying. This article walks through what doctors know about movement in babies with spina bifida, what shapes that movement, and when to seek urgent help.
Can A Baby With Spina Bifida Move In The Womb? Movement Basics
Spina bifida (described in detail in the CDC spina bifida overview) is a neural tube condition where part of the spine and spinal cord do not form in the usual way. The range is wide. Some babies have mild spinal changes that cause no movement problems. Others have open spina bifida with weaker legs or paralysis. Even with nerve damage, many babies still move their arms, torso, and sometimes their legs in the womb. What you feel on the outside depends on how strong those movements are, the position of the placenta, and your own body shape.
How Spina Bifida Affects The Spine
Doctors group spina bifida into several types. At one end is spina bifida occulta, where the gap in the spine is small and skin lies over it. Many people with this type never notice any symptoms in daily life. Open forms such as myelomeningocele involve a visible sac on the back where nerves and membranes push through the opening in the spine. The higher the opening lies on the spine, the more likely a baby is to have weakness or loss of leg movement after birth. Damage to the spinal cord can limit how signals travel from the brain to the legs. That can reduce leg kicks in the womb, but does not always stop them completely.
Types Of Spina Bifida And Possible Effects On Movement
| Type Of Spina Bifida | Brief Description | Possible Effect On Movement In The Womb |
|---|---|---|
| Spina bifida occulta | Small bony gap with skin covering the spine | Fetal movement usually normal and unchanged |
| Closed spinal lesion | Defect covered by skin, sometimes with fatty mass | Most babies move as usual; mild changes possible |
| Meningocele | Fluid filled sac with meninges bulging through spine | Many babies move legs, though pattern may differ |
| Myelomeningocele | Sac contains spinal cord and nerves | Leg movement may be weak or absent; upper body moves |
| Higher level lesion | Opening in upper or mid back | Leg movements more likely reduced than with lower lesions |
| Lower level lesion | Opening in lower back | Some leg motion often present; pattern varies by baby |
| Hydrocephalus or other issues | Extra fluid on brain or other complications | Movement pattern may change and needs close monitoring |
Typical Fetal Movement In Pregnancy
Most people start to feel light flutters between 16 and 20 weeks and stronger kicks by about 24 weeks. Each baby develops a personal rhythm, often with bursts at certain times of day. Health services such as the NHS guidance on baby movements explain that learning this pattern matters more than counting a set number of kicks. A clear change from that usual rhythm, not just a quiet spell when you are busy, should prompt a check.
Baby With Spina Bifida Moving In The Womb: What To Expect
When parents ask can a baby with spina bifida move in the womb, they are often thinking about leg kicks and rolls. Babies with spina bifida sit on a spectrum. Some kick strongly and roll just like any other baby. Others mainly move their upper body while leg motion feels softer or less frequent. Ultrasound sometimes shows leg movement that a parent cannot feel through the womb wall. In many pregnancies, the placenta lies at the front, or there is extra fluid or body tissue between the baby and the surface of the abdomen. These factors can blunt the feeling of kicks, so the link between nerve damage and what you feel with your hands is not always simple.
Movement You May Feel
If your baby has open spina bifida, staff often carry out many ultrasound scans. During those scans, they may point out arm movement, breathing style motions of the chest, and even hand to mouth movement. You might feel swishes, turns, stretches, or sharp kicks from time to time. Leg movement may feel lower in strength, shorter in bursts, or less regular than in another pregnancy. Some parents sense more wiggles high in the bump and fewer pushes in the lower abdomen because leg action is weaker.
Why Movement Can Differ From Other Pregnancies
In open spina bifida, nerves that serve the legs often lie inside the spinal sac or pass through the spinal gap. Research shows that nerve routes can be damaged where the spine did not close, and this limits messages travelling downwards to the muscles of the legs. When the lesion lies higher on the back, more muscle groups sit below the damaged area, so the chance of weak or absent leg movement grows. When the lesion lies low in the spine, some leg muscles may still receive signals, so movement can range from weak kicks to near normal action.
Monitoring A Baby With Spina Bifida During Pregnancy
Once spina bifida appears on an ultrasound scan, care usually shifts to a higher risk clinic. A fetal medicine team checks the level of the spinal lesion, whether there is hydrocephalus, and how the baby grows over time. Serial scans follow limb movement, brain and spine growth, and fluid levels. Many parents find these checks reassuring. In some centres, doctors also offer fetal surgery to close the defect before birth.
Extra Scans And Checks
During antenatal visits, staff may ask whether you feel the baby move every day and whether that pattern has changed. They may carry out detailed ultrasound scans to watch arm and leg movement as well as breathing style motions of the chest. In later pregnancy, you may have cardiotocography to track the baby’s heart rate and movements over a set time. If your baby seems less active than usual, staff may bring scans or monitoring forward instead of waiting for the next routine visit.
Listening To Your Own Sense Of Movement
No one knows your baby’s pattern better than you do. After around 24 weeks, take time each day to lie on your side or sit quietly and notice the rhythm of turns, stretches, and kicks. There is no magic number of movements per hour that suits every pregnancy. Instead, the main guide is whether your baby shows their usual pattern. If that pattern changes, do not wait. Contact your midwife, maternity triage line, or labour ward straight away and explain what feels different.
When Reduced Movement Needs Urgent Attention
Spina bifida does not protect a baby from other pregnancy problems. Reduced movements can still signal that a baby is not getting enough oxygen or nutrients. Health services in many countries urge parents to act on the same day if they sense less movement, a sudden stop, or a major shift in the pattern. This applies whether or not a baby has a known condition. Staff expect these calls and prefer that you ring many times with a healthy baby than stay at home once with a baby in need.
Changes In Movement And Usual Maternity Responses
| Change In Movement | What It Might Suggest | Usual Step From Maternity Team |
|---|---|---|
| No movement felt after 24 weeks | Baby could be asleep or unwell | Urgent call, same day assessment and monitoring |
| Sudden drop in usual kicks | Possible reduced oxygen or placenta issue | Heart rate tracing and ultrasound scan |
| Strong pattern then complete stop | Higher concern about baby’s wellbeing | Fast triage and senior review |
| New, sharp pain with fewer movements | Possible labour, abruption, or other cause | Examination and scan to find the reason |
| Fluid leaking plus change in movement | Possible waters breaking early | Speculum check and plan for birth or monitoring |
| Worry about movement at any stage | Parent feels something is wrong | Staff should invite prompt review |
Who To Contact And What To Expect
If you feel fewer movements, or none at all, call your local maternity unit, midwife, or obstetric emergency number without delay. Do not wait until the next day, even if you have an appointment coming up soon. Staff will usually ask you to come in for monitoring. They may listen to the baby’s heartbeat, carry out a cardiotocograph, and arrange an ultrasound scan. If tests look normal and movements return, you can go home with clear safety advice. If tests cause concern, the team will talk through next steps, which may include more monitoring or planning birth.
Living With The Uncertainty Of A Spina Bifida Diagnosis
Pregnancy with a diagnosis of spina bifida often brings mixed feelings. Many parents feel joy when they sense kicks and anxiety when they think about surgery or long term care. Movement in the womb does not predict every detail of life after birth, but it does show that the baby’s brain is sending messages and reacting inside the uterus. Staying in contact with your care team and mentioning any worries about movement can help you feel more settled.
General Medical Safety Note
This article offers general education only. It cannot replace personal advice from your own doctors or midwives. For any concern about fetal movement or spina bifida, seek care from your local maternity service or emergency department straight away.