Four Cases of Anencephaly with Multiple Anomalies

ABSTRACT

The incidence of anencephaly ranges from 0.1 to 6.7 per 1,000 births. Female fetuses predominated, especially among prematures, with a ratio of between 3 and 7 to 1. The infants are either stillborn or die within a few days of birth. By about 23 days?gestational age the neural tube is complete, except for an opening at each end, the anterior and posterior neuropores. Failure of closure of the anterior neuropore causes anencephaly. Ultrasound scanning of the skull in the anencephalic fetus, measurement of alpha-fetoprtein countent in amniotic fluid may also ve of help in rntrauterine diagnosis. Four cases of anencephaly with mutiple anomalies experienced at nursery of Kyung Hee University Hospital were reported with brief review of related literaures.