What is anencephaly?
Anencephaly (meaning open skull) is a disorder which occurs due to a neural tube defect. The cephalic (head) end of the neural tube of` the developing foetus does not fold and close in a normal manner in the 3rd and 4th weeks of development in the uterus and because of this a major part of the brain and skull are missing. It can also produce defects of the heart and facial features. As the top end of the neural tube fails to fold, the forebrain is largely affected as well as the cerebrum which is responsible for coordination and thought. The top of the skull as well as some bones of the face may also be absent leaving the brain susceptible to multiple infections. Due to the substantial loss of brain tissue lost, babies born with anencephaly are deaf, blind, unconscious and unable to feel pain. Even though some are born with a basic brainstem, consciousness is never gained. Anencephaly is present in 1 in 10000 births yet it is thought this figure is substantially more as many cases result in miscarriage.
Article image - Foetus with anencephaly courtesy of Wiki Commons: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anencephaly_side.jpg?uselang=en-gb