Which statement about the etiology of neural tube defects is accurate?

• A. There may be genetic predisposition but no single cause identified
• B. It is caused by paternal folic acid deficiency
• C. It is due to maternal viral infection
• D. There is always a single cause

Answer: (A)

Neural tube defects arise from a mix of genetic susceptibility and environmental influences rather than one single cause. There are genetic factors, especially in folate metabolism, that can increase risk, but they don’t act alone. Maternal folate status in early pregnancy strongly affects risk, and folic acid supplementation reduces many cases, yet it doesn’t guarantee prevention because many instances involve multiple interacting factors. Paternal folic acid status isn’t established as a major factor, and a maternal viral infection isn’t the primary cause. Since there isn’t one universal cause, the most accurate statement is that there may be a genetic predisposition but no single cause identified.