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FOlIC ACID
Folic acid.
Folic acid anemia is a known risk factor for neural tube birth defects.
Neural tube defects.
Before the mid-1990s, about three quarters of neural tube defects could be traced to low folate levels in the mother. Since foods (mostly cereals) and prenatal vitamins now contain folate, there has been a 75% decrease in the rate of neural tube defects in the U.S. So, nowadays, the percentage of neural tube defects related to the mother's lack of folate intake is quite small, although the exact percentage has not been studied.
Yes. Vitamin B9 (Folate) deficiency can lead to neural tube defect (NTD) and the main source of it is green vegetables. That's why any woman who plans on getting pregnant should consume sufficient amounts of B9 (folic acid).
Alpha fetoprotein is elevated when there are neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
Spina bifida occurs during the first trimester. Spina bifida is in a class of birth defects known as neural tube defects. The neural tube eventually develops into the spinal cord, brain and the tissues that enclose them. In a normal pregnancy the tube forms early and closes by the twenty eighth day. With spina bifida portions of the neural tube fail to develop properly causing defects of varying severity in the spinal cord and back bones. This is a complicated topic and you can read more about it at the related link.
There is no guarantee that folic acid supplementation will prevent neural tube defects, though it has been proven to reduce the risk. In a woman who has no family history of neural tube defects, it is suggested that she take 0.4 mg of folic acid each day, while a woman with a family history is asked to take 4 mg of folic acid each day (10 times the amount). Ideally the women would begin taking folic acid at least 3 months before conception, and continue it through at least the end of the first trimester.
Folic acid.
Encephaloceles refers to defects in the development of a fetal structure called the neural tube. The tube fails to close completely during development of the fetus.
In the embryo the neural tube forms the central nervous system in the fetus, which is the brain and spinal cord. The reason pregnant women are given folic acid supplementation is to help prevent neural tube defects, which can range from fairly benign all the way to anencephaly (where the baby is born without a brain).