The recurrence risk for neural tube defects in the United States: A collaborative study

Abstract

To determine the recurrence risk for patients with one prior pregnancy affected with neural tube defects (NTD), the authors have pooled date from eight testing centers. In 831 pregnancies studies because one sib was affected with an NTD, the recurrence rate was 3.0%, with 95% confidence limits of 2.0–4.3%, and 99% confidence limits of 1.8–4.8%. The recurrent lesion, whether spina bifida or anencephaly, tended to be concordant with the first to a significant degree. Only 12.2% or recurrent NTD were different from the first, with 95% confidence limits of 4.1–26.2%, and 99% confidence limits of 1.7–30.9%. Both an accurate recurrence risk and the information that a recurrent NTD lesion tends to be concordant with that in the first asffected child are useful in the genetic counseling of patients in the United States and in the selecton of appropriate prenatal diagnostic studies.