Anencephaly is a very serious birth defect that occurs when an infant is born without certain parts of the skull or the brain. These birth defects generally happen during the first month of a pregnancy and often before a woman even knows that she has become pregnant. It is directly related to the neural tube. As it forms and closes, the neural tube begins to form the brain of the fetus and the skull, as well as other components of the nervous system and the bones of the back. Anencephaly occurs when this tube does not close all the way.
Statistics on Anencephal
1. About 1 in every 4,859 babies in the United States will be born with anencephaly.
2. There has been a 27% decline in pregnancies affected by nueral tube defects since the introduction of folic acid into fortified food products.
3. Babies born to Hispanic mothers are at an increased risk for anencephaly and the reasons for this are not understood.
4. It is believed that anencephaly is present in as many as 1 out of every 1,000 pregnancies.
5. Only 3 out of every 10,000 live births have anencephaly present.
6. Over 95% of parents opt for an abortion in countries where it is legal when this birth defect is discovered.
7. Even though portions of the brain are missing, a child with this birth defect who is born live is not considered brain dead.
8. Anencephaly is usually diagnosed at the time of the 18 week anomaly scan.
9. Recent statistics show that between 2002-2010, nearly 18,000 abortions were conducted to terminate the pregnancies of infants who would be born with a disability.
10. About 10 children in the United States every day are born with this birth defect.
11. Most unborn children with this birth defect will not survive the pregnancy.
12. The percentage of children with anencephaly that were born prematurely: 40%.
13. Only 4% of children with this birth were able to make it to term.
14. Two thirds of mothers who have a child that has been diagnosed with anencephaly opt to have is the C-section.
15. In 30% of the known cases of this birth defect, the birthing process experienced a buildup of too much amniotic fluid.
16. 42% of the mothers who choose a natural birth when anencephaly is present experience a spontaneous delivery.
17. Only 5% of the babies with anencephaly who are born alive will live more than six days.
18. Every 4 1/2 minutes, a baby in the United States is born with a birth defect.
19. The number of babies who are affected by a birth defect every year: 120,000.
20. Treating birth defects like anencephaly in US medical facilities exceeds $2.6 billion annually and this does not include outpatient care or provider charges.
Birth Defects Facts
When a child is born with this birth defect, it is often without the front part of the brain. The coordination and thinking parts of the brain may also not be present. During birth, it is not uncommon to see that the remaining parts of the brain of the child are not covered by any skin or bones.
Most children who are born with this birth defect will die shortly after they are born. The good news is that women have the opportunity to reduce the chance of having a baby born with birth defects like these by taking multivitamins that contain folic acid. Refraining from drinking alcohol and smoking during the pregnancy may also help to further reduce the chances of a serious birth defect like this.
Thanks to research from organizations like the Centers for Disease Control, the incidence rates of anencephaly have started to reduce. This evidence of reduction helps every community be able to create public health policies that will prevent families from having to deal with such a horrible event. Other factors, such as genetics or inherited markers, may still be able to cause birth defects like this, but we can still work together by knowing statistics like these to make sure that the fewest birth defects possible are present for families in our current population.
Additional Facts and Statistics
Being told that a child has anencephaly is one of the most devastating bits of news that a family can receive. By the time the 18th week rolls around, families are often planning their nursery, having baby showers, and fully expecting light to change. With this news, life does indeed change, but not in the way that families want.
What is interesting about the anencephaly statistics is that many of the sites have an author bias towards limiting abortions when this birth effect is discovered. It is a terrible decision that must be weighed. Human life is indeed precious, but so is the quality of that life. Many children with this birth defect die immediately after they are born. Some of them are even stillborn. It is a rare few that make it beyond the first week of life. Rarer still are the children with anencephaly that can make it past her first birthday. Complete care is necessary if a child continues to live. As this child grows into an adult, what kind of life are they likely to have?
The odds are greatly in the favor of a child dying either before it is born or immediately afterward. This is often why parents are choosing an abortion, not because of any pro-life or pro-choice debate, but because they don’t want their child to suffer. If the thinking and processing centers of the mind are not present because of this birth defect, even though the brain is still active in a child, then how aware will the child be? That’s a question that can only be answered after a child is born. With the high cost of healthcare today, this is $1 million gamble for families on a high chance that their child might live longer than a week.
The evidence shows that proper health and good nutritional habits can help to greatly reduce birth sex like these. It is critically important for women who even think that they might want to become pregnant to take extra levels of folic acid to prevent things like anencephaly. By doing so, fewer tragedies may occur and fewer difficult decisions may need to be made.