Our research focuses on the barriers to healthcare in Nicaragua and more specifically, the causes of the high incidence of spina bifida afflicting the children of Nicaragua. It is our hope that our research will not only bring to light the various healthcare disparities prevalent in Nicaragua but also will be a platform for multi-faceted intervention.

Our Current Research Phase:

Our research team is still collecting data in Nicaragua and is currently working together with various local healthcare professionals, social workers, and volunteers located throughout Managua, Nicaragua.

Spina Bifida:

Spina bifida, a congenital defect of neural tube closure, is often associated with insufficient folic acid during pregnancy. While the incidence of spina bifida has remained at a stable level of 0.2 per 1000 individuals in the United States for the past 10 years, the rate of morbidity found in Nicaragua is currently at a level of 2.7 per 1000 live births. The only public hospital in Nicaragua that is able to surgically treat cases of spina bifida is El Hospital Antonio Lenin Fonseca, a government-based institution that treats patients at no cost. Each year, close to 160 affected patients come to the hospital for surgical treatment. Various hypotheses have been posed as to why the incidence of this easily preventable disease is so high.

First, in outlying rural areas, brigadistas, who are the main health care providers to local village communities, as well as other primary care providers, may not be adequately trained to provide sufficient prenatal care. Second, those patients who were sufficiently educated about the need for prenatal vitamins, most notably folic acid, are unable to comply with recommendations due to financial constraints.  Third, while the CDC recommends 400 µg of folic acid daily for women of child-bearing age, the typical Nicaraguan diet consists mainly of rice and beans—both of which do not contain significant levels of folic acid.