Anencephaly When the Neural Tube Fails to Close during...

Between day twenty-five and twenty-seven of pregnancy, normally before a woman even knows she is pregnant, the neural tube that ultimately becomes the brain and spinal cord begins to develop and eventually close. When the neural tube fails to close, the outcome is a neural tube defect called anencephaly. Anencephaly is a congenital birth defect and is characterized by the absence of the prosencephalon (fore-brain), cerebrum, cerebellum, and cranium. Part of the brain-stem is usually present. The head usually stops just above the eyebrows and slopes backwards. Since the head stops so suddenly, many babies appear to have bulging eyes. Some are born with cyclopia, the presence of only one eye centered in the middle of the forehead.†¦show more content†¦Exposure to high levels of mercury or lead may also be a contributing factor, as well as prolonged hyperthermia and obesity. Hispanic women are at a greater risk for having a child born with this type of defect. Once a woman has had an anencephalic child, she has a 1 in 10 chance of having another baby with this birth defect. In 2006, data was collected on 303 babies who were diagnosed with anencephaly and were not terminated. Of those 303 babies, about 40% were born prematurely (before 37 weeks) and 4% beyond 42 weeks. Two-thirds of the mothers were either induced or had a planned cesarean section for those born at term. Polyhydramnios was present in 30% of the cases which accounted for 60% of those born prematurely. When delivered by cesarean section, 4% died during birth, 53% died within twenty-four hours, 30% lived up to five days, and 13% lived longer than six days. For vaginal births, 37% of babies died during birth when a doctor or midwife ruptured the amniotic bag, opposed to 18% if the amniotic bag ruptured naturally. According to statistics, if the anencephalic child is delivered via cesarean section at full term, there is a better chance of that child being born alive, if only for a little while. Once the exposed brain comes into contact with the air, there is a great risk of infection. Most babies with this condition die from cardiorespiratoryShow MoreRelatedThe Effect of Neural Tube Defects on Healthcare1216 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to the Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica (2014), a neural tube defect is â€Å"any congenital defect of the brain and spinal cord as a result of abnormal development of the neural tube.† This birth defect is â€Å"the most common congenital defect of the central nervous system, affecting the brain and/or spinal cord of 300,000 newborns worldwide each year† (Ricks et al., 2012, p. 391). The exact cause of these central nervous system defects is unknown, but there are many contributing factors that are evidencedRead MoreDetecting Fetal Abnormalities Through Ultrasound2205 Words   |  9 Pagesbirth defects can be detected during pregnancy by an ultrasound. Some of these abnormalities include abdominal wall defect, orofacial cleft , anencephaly, and down syndrome. Although at this time ultrasound is the safest way to observe a fetus, risks are still associated with it. Ultrasound An ultrasound is a test that sends sound waves into the woman’s abdomen or vagina in order to create an image to observe how the fetus is developing within the womb (â€Å"Pregnancy Ultrasound,† n.d.). Some ofRead MorePregnancy And Its Effects On Pregnancy Essay3534 Words   |  15 PagesPregnancy begins with a fetus developing inside a women’s uterus, and ends with the birth of a baby. Pregnancy involves a variety of clinical laboratory tests that can provide important information from the beginning of pregnancy through the first days of the newborn’s life. A variety of laboratory tests are performed throughout pregnancy at different specified times. Ninety five percent of pregnancies result in a safe delivery of a healthy baby, but there are complications that can arise unexpectedlyRead MoreSci 241 Week 524609 Words   |  99 Pagesdifferent functions in the body To date, 13 substances have been identiï ¬ ed as vitamins essential in the diet (Table 8.1). They were named alphabetically in approximately the order in which they were identiï ¬ ed: A, B, C, D, and E. The B vitamins were ï ¬ rst thought to be one chemical substance but were later found to be many different substances, so the alphabetical name was broken down by numbers. Vitamins B6 and B12 are the only ones that are still commonly referred to by their numbers. Thiamin, riboï ¬â€šavin