Published on 22nd May 2008 by Corwin Brown in Diseases and Conditions

Anencephaly is a congenital malformation that occurs in approximately one in one thousand pregnancies. Anencephaly is a neural tube defect, just as is spina bifida. Life expectancy for an anencephalic baby is just a few hours, sometimes a few days at most. As the malformation is usually detected during a pre-natal scan, parents are often confronted with a choice between life and death. A choice made with very little information of what is in store for them. It is with this in mind that we have made the choice to share the stories of the brief, but wonderful lifes of our anencephalic babies. I hope that it will be of help to you and impart courage. Anencephaly is a malformation which is very easy to see on an ultrasound scan. If a qualified doctor has made an ultrasound scan diagnosis after the 16th week, the likelihood of a misdiagnosis is minimal. A positive maternal serum screening test, however, simply shows that there is a higher risk that the baby has Trisomy 21 or 18, or an neural tube defect. Most women who test positive give birth to healthy babies. Additional tests must be carried out to determine whether the baby is suffering from one of those ailments. It is as common as spina bifida and in some areas it has been observed to be more common. The incidence ranges anywhere between one and six per 1000 deliveries. For some unclear reason, there is a racial difference as well. Anencephaly is less common among the black community and people from south-east Asia, compared to Caucasians. Like spina bifida, anencephaly affects girls more than boys. Causes of Anencephaly Once a child has been born with an ONTD in the family, the chance for an ONTD to happen again is increased to 4 percent to 10 percent. It is important to understand that the type of neural tube defect can differ the second time. For example, one child could be born with anencephaly, while the second child could have spina bifida. The cause of anencephaly is unknown. Although it is thought that a mother's diet and vitamin intake may play a role, scientists believe that many other factors are also involved. Valproic acid, an anticonvulsant, and other antimetabolites of folic acid have been shown to increase the chance of an NTD when exposure occurs in early development. While these induced NTDs are usually spina bifida, the chance of anencephaly is probably increased as well. Anencephaly and spina bifida are the most common ONTDs, while encephaloceles (where there is a protrusion of the brain or its coverings through the skull) are much rarer. Anencephaly occurs when the neural tube fails to close at the base of the skull, while spina bifida occurs when the neural tube fails to close somewhere along the spine. Anencephaly and spina bifida are the most common ONTDs, while encephaloceles (where there is a protrusion of the brain or its coverings through the skull) are much rarer. Anencephaly occurs when the neural tube fails to close at the base of the skull, while spina bifida occurs when the neural tube fails to close somewhere along the spine. Anencephaly is due to failure of the basic part of the brain to form during the first 24 days after conception. More baby girls are affected than are boys and the incidence is higher in those geographical areas where spina bifida is more common. Some infants have spina bifida and anencephaly.

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