Spina Bifida is a birth defect where there is an incomplete closure of the backbone and the coverings around the spinal cord. It affects more than 4,000 children born each year in the United States and is associated with hydrocephalus (fluid in the brain), developmental delay, lifelong disability and death. Spina Bifida is also associated with a need for shunt placement. In-utero surgery has been shown to reduce the need for shunting of hydrocephalus and to improve a child’s ability to walk.