Development of the central nervous system including the brain and spinal cord is a complex process beginning with a flat sheet of cells which undergoes sequential thickening, elevation, mediolateral convergence accompanied by rostrocaudal extension, and finally adhesion to form the neural tube (NT) which is the precursor of the brain and the spinal cord. Perturbations of these interconnected processes result in neural tube defects (NTDs), which are the most common congenital malformation affecting this system and are associated with significant complications. NTDs can occur in two major forms: spina bifida (SB) aperta, which is the open-lesion NTD, and the closed-lesion NTD, more commonly known as SB occulta.