The Study of Trends and Treatments of Neural Tube Defects: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth abnormalities of the central nervous system caused by a defect in the embryonic neurulation process. The most common congenital defects are congenital heart defects (CHDs) and neural tube defects (NTDs). Aim: The study’s aim was to figure out the patterns of neural tube defects (NTD) and how to treat them. Methodology: The ages of the mother, the method of delivery, the kind, and quality of neural tube defects (NTDs,) and also the treatment, were all acquired from case reports (medical and surgical). Warmth was provided to the newborn with an open NTD, and the abnormality was coated with a sterile moist saline bandage. To avoid putting strain on the deformity, the patient was placed in a supine posture. Children with breathing difficulties were given supplemental oxygen. In patients with urine dysfunction, clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) was employed. All infants with an open NTD had to have the problem checked right away. Conventional neurosurgical procedures were used to close the wound. Once the NTD was closed, a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was implanted in infants with associated hydrocephalus. Results: A total of 59 patients were involved in this study. Males made up 50.6% of the population, while females made up 49.4%, resulting in a gender ratio of 1.5 in males. The majority of the participants’ parents (57.6%) were socioeconomically poor. The most prevalent kind was myelomeningocele (62.7%), followed by 5.08 percent cases of meningocele and 11.8 percent cases of lipomeningocele. The lumbosacral area was the most frequent site of these abnormalities (55.9 percent). Lumbar (32.2 percent), sacral (6.77percent), and thoracolumbar (5.08 percent) locations were among the others. Conclusion: The most frequent kind of NTD in our area was Lumbosacral Myelomeningocele. The main concern factor was lower economic level.