Prevention of neural tube defects in curly-tail mice by maternal administration of vitamin A

Various doses of vitamin A were administered on day 9 of pregnancy to the pregnant curly-tail mouse, a mutant, 60 per cent of which have neural tube defects (NTD). There was a reduction in the incidence of NTD in the fetuses with all doses used. The effect was maximal with 5 mg/kg; it was also marked, but to a lesser degree, with 10 and 20 mg/kg and minimal with 1 mg/kg. The implications of these findings in the mouse to the prevention of NTD in humans by preconception vitamin supplementation are discussed.