Neural Tube Defect

Neural Tube Defect

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are one of the most common birth defects, occurring in approximately one in 1,000 live births in the United States. A NTD is an opening in the spinal cord or brain that occurs very early in human development. In the 3rd week of pregnancy called gastrulation, specialized cells on the dorsal side of the fetus begin to fuse and form the neural tube. When the neural tube does not close completely, an NTD develops.

Read more about Neural Tube Defect:  Types of NTDs, Folic Acid Pathway, Other Causes, Detection, Prevention, Treatment

Famous quotes containing the words tube and/or defect:

    One of the great natural phenomena is the way in which a tube of toothpaste suddenly empties itself when it hears that you are planning a trip, so that when you come to pack it is just a twisted shell of its former self, with not even a cubic millimeter left to be squeezed out.
    Robert Benchley (1889–1945)

    As a result of a general defect of nature, we are either more confident or more fearful of unusual and unknown things.
    Julius Caesar [Gaius Julius Caesar] (100–44 B.C.)