Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40702155›Full record

Observational studyJournal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association2026

Prenatal repair of myelomeningocele is associated with lower need for long-term feeding support.

Jennifer Healy, Chunyan Liu, Shelley Ehrlich, Foong-Yen Lim, Jose L Peiro, Beth Haberman, Charles B Stevenson, Stefanie Riddle

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Jennifer HealyDivision of Neonatology and Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA. Jennifer.Healy@cchmc.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-6478-5966
Chunyan LiuDivision of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4096-3210
Shelley EhrlichDivision of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Foong-Yen LimDivision of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Jose L PeiroDivision of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Beth HabermanDivision of Neonatology and Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Charles B StevensonCincinnati Children's Fetal Care Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9375-2118
Stefanie RiddleDivision of Neonatology and Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9945-6689

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveInfants with myelomeningocele (MMC) are at risk of brainstem dysfunction secondary to symptomatic Chiari II malformation with hindbrain herniation (HH), which can manifest as feeding difficulties including aspiration and dysphagia. This study aims to investigate whether prenatal repair of MMC is associated with improved feeding outcomes compared to postnatal repair. STUDY

designRetrospective observational study of 208 infants with MMC, 105 repaired prenatally and 103 repaired postnatally, from January 2011 to July 2022. Primary outcome was feeding tube at discharge and longitudinally through 12 months corrected gestational age (CGA).

results9.5% of infants repaired prenatally and 13.6% repaired postnatally required feeding tube at discharge (p = 0.3585). By 53 weeks CGA, the prenatal repair group had decreased odds of requiring feeding tube (0.325 [95% CI 0.121, 0.872]).

conclusionPrenatal MMC repair was associated with decreased need for long-term feeding support, suggesting a potential functional benefit of prenatal repair related to reversal of HH.

Indexed as

Enteral NutritionMeningomyeloceleArnold-Chiari MalformationFemaleFetal TherapiesGestational AgeHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMalePregnancyRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID40702155
PMCPMC13008767

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.