Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis of Neural Tube Defects

Abstract Neural tube defects are a spectrum of serious malformations of the cranium, spine, and nervous system. The spectrum includes anencephaly, spina bifida, cephalocele, and iniencephaly. Anencephaly and spina bifida, the two most common are important contributors to perinatal mortality and morbidity. Anencephaly is a lethal condition, and infants with spina bifida who survive are likely to have severe, lifelong disabilities (Date et al., 1993; Botto et al., 1999).