2. Genetic factors
Neural tube defects such as spina bifida tend to run in families, though there are mixed inheritance patterns. Most children born with spina bifida come from families that don’t have a history of the disorder, however most who suffer from spina bifida are also infertile. When a woman has previously given birth to a child with a neural tube defect, the chances of her next child having a defect increase eightfold.
Spina bifida specifically is also more often seen in women, Hispanics, and whites. Families that have had several children born with neural tube defects are twice as likely to have another child with spina bifida.
There are rare cases in which spina bifida will appear alongside Patau’s syndrome, which is a genetic disorder. It is also seen at times in children who suffer from Edwards’ syndrome or Down’s syndrome.
Chorionic villus sampling or an amniocentesis test can determine if the fetus is afflicted with either of these conditions early in the pregnancy.