Despite the 250 mouse mutants with NTDs to date, there has yet to be a significant breakthrough for human NTD gene(s) both causal and/or associated with NTDs that can be used for genetic screening worldwide [4, 7]. The importance of finding candidate gene(s) as a genetic screening tool for potential parents cannot be undervalued as it has been estimated that the total lifetime costs for patients with spina bifida (spinal NTDs) amount to about $1.4 million in the US and more than €500k in Europe, with 37.1% of the total cost attributed to direct medical costs and the remainder in indirect costs, including the needs of the caregiver .