The Prevention Gap
This is the first edition of Parabole Originals—data narratives on topics that matter but don't get attention or funding. This piece dives into the why and the how of one of the most common fetal anomalies, using a personal story, illustrations and data visualisation.
Background
The idea for this data story came from a personal experience. Our founder Evelina got pregnant in January of this year. Her husband and her were impatient to welcome their first child. But things didn’t go according to plan. During the sixth month of pregnancy, their unborn baby daughter was diagnosed with severe spina bifida—a malformation of the spine that leads to life-long disabilities. What followed was heartbreak and termination of the pregnancy.
Turns out, they were far from being alone. In many countries, up to 1 in 1,000 pregnancies are affected by spina bifida. But before this diagnosis knocked at their door, they had never heard of it. So, with the team at Parabole Studio, we decided to change that in the best way we know how— through data storytelling.
Impact
This is the story of spina bifida: how it happens, what it means and what can be done about it. There's no miracle cure that will save every pregnancy, but there are steps that can reduce the risk. To bring this delicately personal and scientific story to life, we used a dark but gentle creative direction; we wanted a serious, slightly sad look that wouldn't be too overwhelming or too graphic. We carefully mixed personal storytelling with data and illustrations to achieve an approachable yet professional narrative.
Share this story with people around you. If we can help prevent even one pregnant family from getting the spina bifida diagnosis, it will have been worth it.
