Serum copper and zinc levels in mothers and cord blood of their newborn infants with neural tube defects: a case-control study.

most common forms of human congenital malformations(1). NTD occur in 1-6.5 per 1,000 births, with marked geographic and ethnic variations(2,3). Comparatively, the incidence of NTD at 9.5/1,000 births in our region is somewhat high(4). The etiology of NTD is multifactorial involving nutritional deficiencies, genetic predisposition and environmental factors(5). Nutritional factors appear to be an important contributor to the etiology of NTD. Although it is known that folic acid deficiency has a definite place in the etiology, supplementation and fortification with folic acid have not eliminated all NTD.