ReviewChild's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery2023
Neural tube defects: a review of global prevalence, causes, and primary prevention.
Review in Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 76 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
76 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 106 citations in OpenAlex.
- Does previous pregnancy experience improve folic acid supplementation uptake? A systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2026Pooled it
- The effectiveness of mandatory folic acid fortification compared with pre-fortification periods on reducing neural tube defects (NTDs): a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Comparing Folic Acid Interventions and Arsenic Reduction Strategies for Neural Tube Defect Prevention in Bangladesh: A Systematic Review and Decision Analysis.Birth defects research · 2025Pooled it
- Folic acid supplementation in European women of reproductive age and during pregnancy with excessive weight: a systematic review.Reproductive health · 2025Pooled it
- Folic acid supplementation during preconception period in sub-Saharan African countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- hiPSC-derived Organoids and Organ-on-chip Systems: New Frontiers in Neural Tube Defect Research.Stem cell reviews and reports · 2026Review
- Spaceborne and spaceborn: Physiological aspects of pregnancy and birth during interplanetary flight.Experimental physiology · 2026Review
- A Mechanistic Review of Environmental Stressor to Decode Their Effect on Congenital Malformations: A Developmental Toxicity.Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 2026Review
- Association of premarital medical check-ups and folic acid knowledge, attitudes, and practices with the occurrence of neural tube defects in Guangxi, China (2009-2023).Journal of global health · 2026Article
- Skin-interfaced microfluidic capsule and portable lab-on-a-disc platform for sweat-based monitoring of prenatal nutrient balance.Nature biomedical engineering · 2026Article
- Article
- Morphological Variants and Factors Associated With Neural Tube Defects at a Regional Referral Hospital.Health science reports · 2026Article
- The top 100 most cited peer-reviewed publications on global neurosurgery: Mapping research trends and gaps over four decades.Acta neurochirurgica · 2026Review
- Uncovering the Genetic Landscape of Spinal Dysraphism: A Retrospective Analysis of 150 Fetal Cases.Prenatal diagnosis · 2026Article
- Congenital abnormalities in Pacific Island Countries and Territories: a scoping review.BMC public health · 2026Article
- MaternalGenes · 2026Article
- A pipeline for developing AI-driven models to predict molecular initiating events: a case study on neural tube defects.Journal of cheminformatics · 2026Article
- Hybrid approach to closure in fetoscopic myelomeningocele repair.Neurosurgical focus: Video · 2026Article
- Article
16 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are common birth defects and contribute to life-long disabilities, high medical care costs, and perinatal and child mortality. This review is a primer on prevalence, causes, and evidence-based prevention strategies for NTDs. The estimated average global prevalence of NTDs is two cases per 1000 births, amounting to approximately 214,000-322,000 affected pregnancies worldwide annually. Prevalence and associated adverse outcomes are disproportionately high in developing countries. NTDs have multiple risk factors including genetic and non-genetic (i.e., maternal nutritional status, pre-pregnancy diabetes, early pregnancy exposure to valproic acid (anti-epileptic medication), and a previous pregnancy affected by a NTD) factors. Maternal folate insufficiency before and during early pregnancy is the most common risk factor and is preventable. Folic acid (vitamin B9) is required for formation of the neural tube early in pregnancy, around 28 days after conception, when most women are unaware of their pregnancies. Current guidelines recommend that all women planning or capable of pregnancy take a daily supplement containing 400-800 μg of folic acid. Mandatory folic acid fortification of staple foods (e.g., wheat flour, maize flour, rice) is safe, economical, and the effective intervention for primary prevention of NTDs. Currently, about 60 countries are implementing mandatory folic acid fortification of staple foods, preventing just a quarter of all preventable NTD cases worldwide. There is an urgent need for active champions, including neurosurgeons and other healthcare providers, to generate political will and promote effective mandatory food fortification with folic acid, and reach equitable primary prevention of NTDs in all countries.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.