What is Anencephaly?
- Posted by MetropolisMom on June 16th, 2008 filed in Baby Abnormalities
This post is dedicated to Janice and baby Angel.
Anencephaly is medically categorized as a cephalic disorder or a neural tube defect. It usually occurs in about 1 out of every 1000 pregnancies. It is where the neural tube of the forming baby failed to close properly. This results in the absence of the major portion of the top of the skull where the brain is supported and protected.
The neural tube is like narrow sheath were it usually closes between the third and fourth week of pregnancy. Infants who have neural tube defect usually are born without a forebrain.
Causes of Anencehpalities
Folic Acid Deficiency – caused by taking birth-control pills, inadequate diet, smoking, psoriasis, and excessive alcohol intake
Undiagnosed diabetes
Influenced by Hereditary or Genetic
Nutritional Deficiencies
Environmental Exposures during pregnancy like medication, maternal infection, or exposure to radiation that might affect the neural tube development of the baby or that may cause premature joining of the cranial sutures.
High fever – have detrimental effect to the unborn child especially to the formation of the neural tube.
Women Who Are At Risk
Women taking medication such as anticonvulsant
Women taking Pills - Folic Acid is the main nutrient that is lacking in this congenital anomaly. According to research, birth control pills have some contribution with the defect because these tend to consume most of the folic acid stored in a woman’s body. Lack of folic acid would result to neural tube defect and other brain abnormalities.
Women with undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetes – either acquired during pregnancy or undiagnosed diabetes before pregnancy. So, if you are pregnant, make sure to moderate your sugar intake.
Women with Malabsorption problems – this is also associated with the lack of folic acid as a nutrient used during the formation of the head and brain of the baby.
Any woman with a family history of neural tube defects
Treatment
It is very unfortunate that there is no cure for anencephaly. There are some countries or states where parents have a choice continuing the pregnancy or opting for an abortion as soon as the defect is detected. However, there are some countries where abortion is not an option. In this case, the mother needs to carry the baby until full term to deliver the baby.
Prognosis
Anencephaly babies usually do not live long. Like baby angel, some only live for about 30 minutes. However, there is small percentage where they live a few days or even weeks.
How to prevent Anencephaly
Unless it is really your fate to deliver an anencephaly baby, prevention is very easy. All you need to do is to take folic acid when you are pregnant or if you are an expecting mother. Taking 4 to 5 mg of folic acid a day during pregnancy is recommended.
Read more about Janice and baby Angel here.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Metropolis Mom, This is some very useful information. I am grateful to you and your friend for sharing this story and for this very important info. I believe every parent, parent to be should know about this.
“prevention is very easy. All you need to do is to take folic acid when you are pregnant or if you are an expecting mother. Taking 4 to 5 mg of folic acid a day during pregnancy is recommended.”
I did not know much about Anencephaly or the ways to prevent it. Thank you for this post and your friend and her baby are in my prayers and thoughts.
June 20th, 2008 at 2:54 am
[...] Janice and Baby Angel’s goal, I will be discussing what Anencephaly is on my next post. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers [...]
June 20th, 2008 at 3:03 am
@Parents Overnight
Hi Parents Overnight,
Thanks for revisiting metropolismom. Prevention for anencephaly is very easy.
Cheers!
Metropolismom