Birth defects (congenital anomalies) are the leading cause of death in babies under 1 year
of age. Neural tube defects (NTD), with a birth incidence of approximately 1/1000 in
American Caucasians, are the second most common type of birth defect after congenital
heart defects. The most common presentations of NTD are spina bifida and anencephaly.
The etiologies of NTDs are complex, with both genetic and environmental factors implicated.
In this manuscript, we review the evidence for genetic etiology and for environmental …