**Meet the editor**

Professor K.L. Narasimhan completed his training in Pediatric Surgery in 1987 and has been interested in Pediatric Urology. He has been working on spina bifida from 1990. He has over 110 scientific publications in peer reviewed journals. He has special interest in prevention of neural tube defects. He also has several publications related to myelomeningoceles, neurogenic bladder,

posterior urethral valves and obstructive uropathy.

Contents

**Preface IX** 

**Part 1 The Role of Folic Acid** 

Lourdes García-Fragoso,

Prinz-Langenohl Reinhild,

Chapter 1 **The Role of Folic Acid** 

Chapter 6 **Selective Abortion** 

Chapter 8 **Advances in Genetics** 

Patrizia De Marco

John A. A. Nichols

Ramya Iyer and S. K. Tomar

**Part 2 Genetics of Neural Tube Defects 139** 

**and Prevention of Neural Tube Disease 1** 

**in the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects 3** 

Inés García-García and Carmen L. Cadilla

Chapter 3 **Primary Prevention of Neural Tube Defects 47**  Claudine Nasr Hage and Grace Abi Rizk

Pietrzik Klaus and Holzgreve Wolfgang

Chapter 5 **Antenatal Prevention of Neural Tube Defects 91**  Naomi Burke, Tom Walsh and Michael Geary

Chapter 7 **Folate and Prevention of Neural Tube Disease 117** 

**of Non Syndromic Neural Tube Defects 141** 

**and Folic Acid Fortification as Contrasting Strategies for Prevention of Congenital Neural Tube Defect 98** 

Chapter 2 **Strategies for Prevention of Neural Tube Defects 31**  Hiroko Watanabe and Tomoyuki Takano

Chapter 4 **Prevention of NTDs – Proposal of a New Concept 65** 

### Contents

#### **Preface** XI


Patrizia De Marco

X 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

**Part 1** 

**The Role of Folic Acid** 

**and Prevention of Neural Tube Disease** 
