Birthdefectsaffectthequalityofthenewbornpopulation,andhavebecameamajorpublichealthprobleminChina.Geneticfactors,environmentalfactors,andtheinteractionofthetwoisthedirectcauseoftheincidenceofbirthdefects.Thisreview,basedontheneuraltubedefectsasanexample,giveinsightintothepathogenesisofbirthdefectsfromthegenomics,epigenetics,metabonomicsandenvironmentfactorsandexplorenewstrategyofbirthdefectpreventioninChina.