neural tube defect

American

noun

Pathology.

any of a group of congenital abnormalities involving the brain and spinal cord, including spina bifida and meningocele, caused by failure of the neural tube to close properly during embryonic development.

Etymology

Origin of neural tube defect

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

neural tube defect

When this process fails, babies can have something called a neural tube defect, which includes spina bifida where, in the severest form, the spine is exposed and can be damaged.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2023

"Each neural tube defect is a tragedy - I see no reason not to move to a higher level of fortification."

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2023

One example of this would be if a fetus is diagnosed with anencephaly, Hackney said, which is a type of neural tube defect when a baby is born without parts of their brain and skull.

From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2022

My youngest kid was born with a neural tube defect called spina bifida.

From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2018

A more severe neural tube defect is anencephaly, a partial or complete absence of brain tissue.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023