Anencephaly

Generality

Anencephaly is a very serious congenital malformation, due to the lack of development of the brain and the bones of the skull. Unfortunately, this condition is not compatible with life: affected children are destined to die prematurely or only survive for a few hours.

The ultrasound diagnosis of anencephaly is very simple and is based on the lack of visualization of the fetal skull in the first trimester of pregnancy.
The preventive intake of folic acid in the peri-conceptional period can reduce the risk of the fetus presenting this malformation.

What's this

Anencephaly is a neural tube defect, incompatible with postnatal life, which can be found during the first month of pregnancy.
Children with this malformative anomaly appear totally or partially devoid of the cranial vault and the brain has not formed or is not present. In most cases, this translates into stillbirth, although some babies can survive for a few hours or even a few days.