ANENCEPHALY Anencephaly is a congenital birth defect that occurs in approximately one in one thousand pregnancies. It is a neural tube defect, just as is spina bifida. Life expectancy for a baby with anencephaly after birth is a few hours to a few days.As the malformation is usually detected during a pre-natal scan, parents are confronted with a choice between life and death. A choice often made with very little information of what is in store for them. It is with this in mind that we have made

Anencephaly – A Neural Tube Defect Anencephaly is a severe, lethal congenital anomaly where most of the brain and skull vault fail to develop. The cerebral hemispheres and overlying skull bones are absent, leaving only the brainstem and rudimentary neural tissue exposed. Key facts every nurse/midwife must know: - Occurs in ~1:1000 pregnancies in most populations (higher where folic acid fortification is low) - Diagnosed by antenatal ultrasound as early as 11–14 weeks (“frog-eye” sign, no calvari