Children with spina bifida often experience paresthesia or hypoesthesia that affects which aspect?

• A. Mood regulation
• B. Body awareness and safety
• C. Hearing sensitivity
• D. Appetite

Answer: (B)

Paresthesia and hypoesthesia mean reduced or abnormal sensation. In children with spina bifida, these sensory changes often involve areas below the spinal lesion, so the child’s sense of touch, temperature, and even pain can be diminished. This directly affects body awareness—knowing where limbs are in space and what they’re contacting—and, crucially, safety. If sensation is blunted, injuries such as burns, cuts, pressure wounds, or unnoticed rashes can occur or worsen because the child may not feel the problem or know to check. Rehabilitation therefore prioritizes strategies to protect the skin and prevent injury, like daily skin inspections, timely pressure relief, proper fit of braces and footwear, and caregiver education on recognizing subtle signs of irritation. The other options—mood regulation, hearing sensitivity, and appetite—are not directly governed by the somatosensory deficits seen in spina bifida, although discomfort or chronic issues can have indirect effects on mood.