children s health issues
Neural Tube Defects and Spina Bifida
Introduction
Neural tube defects are a certain type of birth defect of the brain, spine, and/or spinal cord. Neural tube defects can result in nerve damage, learning disabilities, paralysis, and death. The diagnosis can be made before birth and is based on a blood test, an amniotic fluid test, or an ultrasound. After birth, doctors do a physical examination and may do additional imaging tests. Folate (folic acid) taken by the mother before conception and during the first trimester can help prevent these defects. Surgery usually is needed to close neural tube defects. (See also Overview of Brain and Spinal Cord Birth Defects .) In the fetus, the Brain and 