Folic Acid Supplementation for Prevention of Neural Tube Defects.

What Are Neural Tube Defects? Neural tube defects are problems with the cranium (brain and skull) or spine (spinal cord and backbone) that can occur in fetuses during early pregnancy. These problems occur when the neural tube, an important embryonic structure, does not close properly. The 2 major types of neural tube defects are anencephaly (in which parts of the brain are not formed properly) and spina bifida (in which parts of the spinal cord and backbone are not formed properly). Because neural tube defects are often severe, treatments are limited. Babies born with anencephaly cannot survive past a few weeks, and babies born with spina bifida have varying levels of disability. Therefore, prevention is very important. Folate deficiency is one of the major preventable causes of neural tube defects.