The Mission of the Spina Bifida Association is to promote the prevention of spina bifida and to enhance the lives of all affected.

Spina Bifida is the most common of the neural tube defects and is one of the most devastating of all birth defects. The National Institutes of Health state that Spina Bifida will occur in 1 of every 1000 births in the U.S. It occurs more frequently than Muscular Dystrophy and Multiple Sclerosis combined and cripples more children than Polio at its peak. It results from the failure of the spine to close properly during the first month of pregnancy. In severe cases, the spinal cord protrudes through the back and may be covered by skin or a thin membrane. Surgery to close a newborn's back is generally performed within 24 hours after birth to minimize the risk of infection and to preserve existing function in the spinal cord.

Children born with Spina Bifida experience varying degrees of paralysis, loss of sensation in the lower limbs, difficulties with bowel and bladder, hydrocephalus, learning disabilities and latex allergies. The challenges brought about by Spina Bifida continue throughout life. To live independent and fulfilling lives, people with this birth defect may need extensive medical, psychological, and educational therapy.