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A
congenital defect of the central nervous system,
including the spinal cord, skull and brain, resulting
from failure of the neural tube to properly close
during fetal development. Defects may include absence
of the skull, and protrusions of the brain or spinal
cord. Most such defects can be detected before birth
by determination of amniotic fluid or blood levels
of alpha-fetoprotein and by ultrasonic scanning.
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