Number of annual cases of select brain/spine birth defects in the U.S. as of 2024

As of 2024, around 1,278 babies in the United States were born each year with spina bifida without anencephaly. Spina bifida, anencephaly, and encephalocele are neural tube defects in which the neural tube does not close properly, often resulting in damage to the spinal cord and nerves. This statistic shows the number of babies affected each year by select brain/spine birth defects in the United States as of 2024.