Spina Bifida Skin Care

It is important to check your child’s skin often, especially in areas that do not have as much feeling or sensation.

• After taking off braces or other footwear, look at the skin on your child’s legs and feet. Check the skin on your child’s bottom (buttocks) and the backs of their legs every day. Have your child use a mirror if they are checking independently.
• Look for red, purple, or bluish marks that do not turn lighter when you press them. Also look for skin color change marks that may be caused by shoes or braces. These should go away within 20 minutes. If they do not, call your child’s nurse.

• Keep your child’s skin dry.
• If your child has less sensation or no sensation, protect their skin by making sure they always wear shoes or foot protection. Your child should avoid walking barefoot, since they could burn their feet on hot pavement or have skin breakdown. In and around pools, lakes, rivers and oceans, your child should wear aquatic footwear.
• If your child does not have feeling in the skin on their bottom or on the backs of their legs, test surface temperatures with your hand before your child sits down. You should also test surface temperature before your child uses playground equipment, like slides or swings.
• Protect your child’s knees when they are crawling. Have your child wear long pants. Watch them carefully if they crawl over rough, uneven or hot surfaces.
• Make sure braces, orthotics and shoes fit well. If your child has new braces, check their skin more often. Check at least once a day, and other times like while changing diapers, clothes or shoes. If equipment or shoes do not fit well, contact your child’s orthotist or therapist, so they can adjust or change them.

Help your child to prevent ulcers and pressure sores on their bottom while they sit in their wheelchair:

• Every 30 minutes, have your child take weight off their sit bones (ischium) by either bending forward, or shifting their weight to 1 side, holding 60 seconds in each direction.