{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,18]],"date-time":"2026-03-18T04:45:19Z","timestamp":1773809119477,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":4,"publisher":"S. Karger AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,1,1]],"date-time":"2011-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1293840000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.karger.com\/Services\/SiteLicenses"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,1,1]],"date-time":"2011-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1293840000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.karger.com\/Services\/SiteLicenses"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pediatr Neurosurg"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2011]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>&lt;i&gt;Background:&lt;\/i&gt; Spina bifida is a long-known disease arising from the incomplete fusion of the caudal neuropore in the first month of intrauterine life. It is thought to have a multifactorial etiology, the most important of which is folic acid deficiency. In evaluating its etiology, the role of antifolate agents like antimalarial drugs is rarely given a strong mention. &lt;i&gt;Methods\/Patients:&lt;\/i&gt; This is a 44-month prospective study of consecutive cases of spina bifida cystica presenting to the Neurosurgery Unit of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, South-East Nigeria. Data collection was with a structured proforma from presentation, and collation done with Microsoft Excel broadsheet and data analysis with SPSS and \u03c7&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;\/sup&gt; test. &lt;i&gt;Results:&lt;\/i&gt; A total of 41 cases of spina bifida were attended to within the period, with 92.7% cases of spina bifida cystica. Most presented by &gt;12\u201324 months, with a consistent history of maternal ingestion of antimalarial drugs during the first trimester of pregnancy. &lt;i&gt;Conclusion:&lt;\/i&gt; Spina bifida cystica was diagnosed mostly in children whose mothers ingested antimalarial drugs during the first trimester of gestation. There may be a need to critically evaluate the contribution of antimalarial drugs to the etiopathogenesis of this malformation and develop safer antimalarial treatment in pregnancy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1159\/000334255","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2012,1,31]],"date-time":"2012-01-31T09:49:56Z","timestamp":1328003396000},"page":"194-197","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Peculiarities in Cases of Spina Bifida Cystica Managed Recently in South-East Nigeria: Could Antimalarial Drugs Be a Major but Unrecognized Etiologic Factor"],"prefix":"10.1159","volume":"47","author":[{"given":"Jude-Kennedy C.","family":"Emejulu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Blaise Ogedi","family":"Okwaraoha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"127","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,1,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016%2FS0031-3955%2805%2970103-6"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016%2FS1071-9091%2897%2980034-4"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1159%2F000094062"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1159%2F000123614"}],"container-title":["Pediatric Neurosurgery"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.karger.com\/Article\/Pdf\/334255","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.karger.com\/Article\/Pdf\/334255","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,23]],"date-time":"2025-04-23T18:46:17Z","timestamp":1745433977000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/karger.com\/article\/doi\/10.1159\/000334255"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2011]]},"references-count":4,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,1,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,1,31]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1159\/000334255","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["1016-2291","1423-0305"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1016-2291","type":"print"},{"value":"1423-0305","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2011]]}}}