Perinatal management of a newborn with neural tube defect: case report

Neural tube defects are the most common congenital anomalies of the central nervous system. Myelomeningocele is the most often and severe form. It results from failure of the neural tube to close spontaneously between the 3rd and 4th week of intrauterine development. The precise cause remains unknown; evidence suggests many factors such as hyperthermia, drugs, malnutrition, maternal obesity, diabetes, and folic acid defi ciency. It typically presents as a saclike cystic structure covered by a thin layer of partially epithelialized tissue. Maternal periconceptual folic acid supplementation can reduce the incidence of neural tube defects. We present perinatal care of a newborn with lumbosacral myelomeningocele associated with hydrocephalus and Chiari II malformation.

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