There are several causes for anencephaly, but the most common is the lack of folic acid before and during the first months of pregnancy, although genetic and environmental factors can also be the cause of this important alteration of the central nervous system.
Some less common causes of anencephaly are:
- use of inappropriate drugs during the first month of pregnancy; infections; radiation; intoxication by chemical substances, such as lead, for example; use of illicit drugs; genetic alterations.
Research shows that white women who have type 1 diabetes are 7 times more likely to generate a fetus with anencephaly.
What is anencephaly
Anencephaly is the lack of the brain or part of it in the baby. This is an important genetic alteration, which occurs in the first month of pregnancy, with a failure to close the neural tube that gives rise to important structures of the central nervous system, such as the brain, meninges and the skullcap. As a result, the fetus does not develop them.
The baby with anencephaly dies shortly after birth or a few hours later, and if the parents wish, they can opt for abortion, if they have an authorization from the supreme court of justice, as abortion in case of anencephaly is not yet allowed in Brazil.
The use of folic acid in pregnancy is of paramount importance to avoid anencephaly. As this change occurs in the first month of pregnancy, when most women still do not know that they are pregnant, this supplementation should start from the moment the woman stops using contraceptive methods, at least 3 months before becoming pregnant.
