About the Spina Bifida Association of Georgia

The Spina Bifida Association of Georgia (SBAG) was formed by a group of parents of children with Spina Bifida in 1976 and became a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1977.  At that time, the organization's focus was on support and crisis management for families. 

The needs of people with Spina Bifida and their families changed significantly in the 1980s, as children affected by Spina Bifida are more likely to live into adulthood.  Today, the SBAG mission is to promote the achievement of full potential for persons born with Spina Bifida while emphasizing the prevention of this birth defect.  The association’s focus is twofold: inclusion and independence for people with Spina Bifida and reduction in the number of future babies affected by Spina Bifida through folic acid education.

Spina Bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect.  It affects eight births per day in the United States; currently an estimated 180,000 people in the United States are living with Spina Bifida.  The population in Georgia is estimated to have as many as 3,000 children and adults. 

Sixty million women are at risk of having a baby born with Spina Bifida or a similar birth defect annually.