Alina, first tell us, what is a neural tube defect?
[Ms. Flores] Well, the neural tube is what eventually will form the babys brain and spine. And the neural tube defect is when the defect is along that neural tube, so it either affects the brain development or the spine development of the baby. When the brain and the bones surrounding the brain dont form correctly, that defect is called anencephaly. Thats a fatal defect; the babies born with anencephaly die shortly after birth and most are miscarried. When a babys spine doesnt develop correctly, thats called spina bifida; thats the more common neural tube defect. Those babies are born and live long productive lives, but they do have a lot of complications and surgeries. The most common complication with spina bifida is paralysis. And some children walk and some children cannot and they use wheelchairs or crutches. [Dr. Gaynes] So how common are neural tube defects? [Ms. Flores] About 3,000 pregnancies in the U.S. are affected every year by one of these neural tube defects, either spina
