Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Neural Tube Defects
Neural tube defects are birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord. They happen in the first month of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows that she is pregnant. The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. In spina bifida, the fetal spinal column doesn't close completely. There is usually nerve damage that causes at least some paralysis of the legs. In anencephaly, most of the brain and skull do not develop. Babies with anencephaly are usually either stillborn or die shortly after birth. Another type of defect, Chiari malformation, causes the brain tissue to extend into the spinal canal.
The exact causes of neural tube defects aren't known. You're at greater risk of having an infant with a neural tube defect if you:
- Have obesity
- Have poorly controlled diabetes
- Take certain antiseizure medicines
Getting enough folic acid, a type of B vitamin, before and during pregnancy prevents most neural tube defects.
Neural tube defects are usually diagnosed before the infant is born, through lab or imaging tests. There is no cure for neural tube defects. The nerve damage and loss of function that are present at birth are usually permanent. However, a variety of treatments can sometimes prevent further damage and help with complications.
It sits within Brain and Nerves and Genetics/Birth Defects.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Neural Tube Defects
236 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Toward Ubiquitous Lower Limb Exoskeleton Use in Children and Young AdultsNational Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
- Abnormality of the Central Canal of the Spinal Cord in Syringomyelia in a Patient With a Basal Skull MalformationUniversity Hospital, Bordeaux
- Coupled Gentamicin-Lactobacillus Rhamnosus in NLUTDMedstar Health Research Institute
- Folic Acid Salt Study (FISFA Zambia)University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Establishing the Preliminary Utility of a Novel Pediatric Manual Mobile Standing WheelchairOptimal Mobility, Inc
- Open-label, Long-term Safety, Efficacy, and Pharmacokinetics Study of Vibegron in Pediatric Subjects 2 Years to < 18 Years of Age With NDO and on CICUrovant Sciences GmbH
Research already completed
- Genetic Analysis of the Chiari I MalformationNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- Assessing Transition Practices for Children With Disabilities: Pathways to a Successful AdulthoodCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne
- Evaluating a New Knee-Ankle-Foot Brace to Improve Gait in Children With Movement DisordersNational Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
- Fetoscopic Meningomyelocele Repair StudyBaylor College of Medicine
- A Prospective Natural History Study of Patients With SyringomyeliaNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- Inflammatory Response in Children Suffering From Tethered CordUniversity Hospital, Lille
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- About Neural Tube Defects (NTDs)Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Neural Tube DefectsMarch of Dimes Foundation
Diagnosis and Tests
- Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) TestNational Library of Medicine
- How Do Health Care Providers Diagnose Neural Tube Defects (NTDs)?Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Treatments and Therapies
- What Are the Treatments for Neural Tube Defects (NTDs)?Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Folic Acid: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
Related Issues
- Are There Disorders or Conditions Associated with Neural Tube Defects (NTDs)?Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Genetics
- Anencephaly: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
- Spina bifida: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Statistics and Research
- How Many People Are at Risk for Neural Tube Defects (NTDs)?Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Arnold-Chiari MalformationNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Neural Tube DefectsNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Neural Tube Defects. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Neural Tube Defects, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.