Decline in the incidence of neural tube defects after the national fortification of flour (1997-2005).

Objective: To evaluate the effect of flour fortification with folic acid on the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in babies. We also report the pattern of NTDs, and we compare it with those reported previously.

Methods: All babies who were born with NTDs at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between 1997 and 2005 were included in the study.