In the case of spina bifida, there has been so much information about the importance of folic acid in the diet of any woman who is of childbearing years that a woman who didn't take supplements before she knew she was pregnant may feel that she caused the condition. The reality is that, although folic acid is credited with a great reduction in spina bifida cases, it is not a miracle cure. Even women who took the supplements religiously give birth to babies with spina bifida.

Cindy Brownstein, CEO of the Spina Bifida Association of America, says no mother should ever feel guilt for any reason. "There is so much we don't know about genetics and how this occurs and why," says Brownstein. "Hopefully research will someday give us those answers, but right now we just don't have them."

Brownstein says that the Spina Bifida Association can help women and their husbands get through those early feelings of guilt by linking them up with support groups.

In the meantime, every woman of childbearing age who has any chance of becoming pregnant should take a supplement containing folic acid. Women who have spina bifida or who have had a child with spina bifida should consult with their physician about a higher level of folic acid.