A woman delivering a newborn with spina bifida wants to know the risk of a subsequent baby having a similar condition. What should the nurse inform her?

When counseling a woman about the risk of having a subsequent baby with spina bifida after previously delivering a child with the condition, it is important to convey that the risk is indeed increased. For women who have had one child with spina bifida, studies indicate that the likelihood of having another child with the same condition can be as much as ten times greater than in the general population.

This elevated risk is attributed to genetic and environmental factors that may contribute to the development of neural tube defects. Spina bifida is often associated with folic acid deficiency during the early stages of pregnancy, and if there are any underlying predispositions within a family, this can compound the risk for future pregnancies.

In contrast, a random event scenario would imply no relationship or pattern to the occurrence of spina bifida in subsequent pregnancies, which does not align with the current understanding of the condition's etiology. Similarly, suggesting that the risk remains the same as the first pregnancy or that there is no increased risk would not provide the mother with an accurate understanding of what she might encounter when considering future pregnancies.

Providing information about the potential for an increased risk allows the mother to be better informed for her reproductive choices, including discussions about preconception care and adequate