noun
- a congenital condition in which a fetus or newborn lacks most or all of the brain and scalp; a severe neural tube defect.
Usage: medical term; typically fatal or incompatible with life
Examples
- Anencephaly is detected during prenatal screening through ultrasound or blood tests.
- The neural tube fails to close properly in early pregnancy, resulting in anencephaly.
- Adequate folic acid intake during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of anencephaly.
- Infants born with anencephaly cannot survive long after birth.
- Anencephaly is one of the most common neural tube defects in the United States.