This post is dedicated to Wendy and baby Georgina.
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 has 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 a 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 fore brain.
Causes of Anencephalitis
- Folic Acid Deficiency – caused by taking birth-control pills, inadequate diet, smoking, psoriasis, and excessive alcohol intake.
- Undiagnosed diabetes.
- Influenced by hereditary or genetics.
- Nutritional deficiencies – poor diet during pregnancy.
- Environmental exposure during pregnancy like medication, maternal infection, or exposure to radiation that might affect the neural tube development of the baby or may cause premature joining of the cranial sutures.
- High fever during pregnancy – has detrimental effects to the unborn child especially to the formation of the neural tube.
Women Who Are At Risk
- Women taking medication such as anti-convulsants.
- Women taking birth control pills – folic acid is the main nutrient that is lacking in this congenital anomaly. According to research, birth control pills have some contribution to the defect because these tend to consume most of the folic acid stored in a woman’s body. Lack of folic acid would result in 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 mal-absorption 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 Anencephalic babies usually do not live long. Like baby Georgina, some only live for about 30 minutes. However, there is a small percentage who do live a few days or even weeks. How to prevent Anencephaly Unless it is really your fate to deliver an anencephalic baby (genetic), prevention is very easy. All you need to do is to take folic acid when you are pregnant. Taking 4 to 5 mg of folic acid a day during pregnancy is recommended.
