NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS – ROLE OF FOLATE, PREVENTION STRATEGIES AND GENETICS Edited by Kannan Laksmi Narasimhan Neural Tube Defects – Role of Folate, Prevention Strategies and Genetics Edited by Kannan Laksmi Narasimhan Published by InTech Janeza Trdine 9, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Copyright © 2012 InTech All chapters are Open Access distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. After this work has been published by InTech, authors have the right to republish it, in whole or part, in any publication of which they are the author, and to make other personal use of the work. Any republication, referencing or personal use of the work must explicitly identify the original source. As for readers, this license allows users to download, copy and build upon published chapters even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. Notice Statements and opinions expressed in the chapters are these of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information contained in the published chapters. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any damage or injury to persons or property arising out of the use of any materials, instructions, methods or ideas contained in the book. Publishing Process Manager Petra Nenadic Technical Editor Teodora Smiljanic Cover Designer InTech Design Team First published March, 2012 Printed in Croatia A free online edition of this book is available at www.intechopen.com Additional hard copies can be obtained from orders@intechopen.com Neural Tube Defects – Role of Folate, Prevention Strategies and Genetics, Edited by Kannan Laksmi Narasimhan p. cm. ISBN 978-953-51-0317-2 Contents Preface IX Part 1 The Role of Folic Acid and Prevention of Neural Tube Disease 1 Chapter 1 The Role of Folic Acid in the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects 3 Lourdes García-Fragoso, Inés García-García and Carmen L. Cadilla Chapter 2 Strategies for Prevention of Neural Tube Defects 31 Hiroko Watanabe and Tomoyuki Takano Chapter 3 Primary Prevention of Neural Tube Defects 47 Claudine Nasr Hage and Grace Abi Rizk Chapter 4 Prevention of NTDs – Proposal of a New Concept 65 Prinz-Langenohl Reinhild, Pietrzik Klaus and Holzgreve Wolfgang Chapter 5 Antenatal Prevention of Neural Tube Defects 91 Naomi Burke, Tom Walsh and Michael Geary Chapter 6 Selective Abortion and Folic Acid Fortification as Contrasting Strategies for Prevention of Congenital Neural Tube Defect 98 John A. A. Nichols Chapter 7 Folate and Prevention of Neural Tube Disease 117 Ramya Iyer and S. K. Tomar Part 2 Genetics of Neural Tube Defects 139 Chapter 8 Advances in Genetics of Non Syndromic Neural Tube Defects 141 Patrizia De Marco VI Contents Chapter 9 Neural Tube Defects in Algeria 163 Bakhouche Houcher, Samia Begag, Yonca Egin and Nejat Akar Chapter 10 Association of A80G Polymorphism in the RFC1 Gene with the Risk for Having Spina Bifida-Affected Offspring in Southeast Mexico and Interaction with C677T-MTHFR 179 Lizbeth González-Herrera, Orlando Vargas-Sierra, Silvina Contreras-Capetillo, Gerardo Pérez-Mendoza, Ileana Castillo-Zapata, Doris Pinto-Escalante, Thelma Canto de Cetina and Betzabet Quintanilla-Vega Part 3 Surgical Treatment of Large Thoraco-Lumbar Neural Tube Defects 191 Chapter 11 Treatment of Large Thoraco-Lumbar Neural Tube Defects 179 Mehrdad Hosseinpour Preface The book Neural Tube Defects - Role of Folate, Prevention Strategies and Genetics has several eminent international authors and the book is a resource for anybody who is interested in this very important subject. The book has been divided into 3 sections; The role of Folic acid and prevention of Neural Tube disease which has seven chapters. Genetics of Neural Tube Defects having 3 chapters and a Surgical Treatment of Large Thoraco-lumbar Neural Tube Defects which includes a chapter on surgical treatment of large lumbo - sacral defects. The authors are distinguished and the chapters are a product of their extensive research. I am glad that Intech took the initiative to publish this book for online free access. Dr. Kannan Laksmi Narasimhan Consultant in Ped Surgery, KK women's and children's hospital, Bukit Timah Road, Singapore . NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS – ROLE OF FOLATE, PREVENTION STRATEGIES AND GENETICS Edited by Kannan Laksmi Narasimhan Neural Tube Defects. Neural Tube Defects – Role of Folate, Prevention Strategies and Genetics Edited by Kannan Laksmi Narasimhan Published by InTech Janeza Trdine