Anencephaly is a condition dangerous to the baby, where he is born without some parts of the brain and skull. The risk of the baby being born with this condition will increase if the mother is deficient in folic acid during pregnancy.
Anencephaly is a disorder of the formation of the fetal neural tube. This disease prevents the baby's brain, skull, spine, or spinal cord from forming normally.
It is very important to know how to reduce the risk of anencephaly, given that there is no treatment method that can be used to save babies from this condition.
Causes of Anencephaly
The exact cause of anencephalyanencephaly) is not known for certain, but there are a number of factors that are thought to increase the baby's risk of developing this condition, namely:
- Genetic disorders.
- Deficiency of certain nutrients, especially folic acid.
- Exposure to toxic substances from the environment, and drugs or food consumed by the mother during pregnancy.
- Born to mothers who suffer from obesity or diabetes.
- Mothers are often exposed to high temperatures, for example when taking a warm bath, steam bath (sauna), or fever.
Folic acid deficiency is often cited as the cause of this condition. Folic acid (vitamin B9) itself is a type of nutrient found in many types of food and supplements. This substance is needed by pregnant women to help produce red blood cells, as well as support the development of the fetus and prevent it from experiencing defects.
Can Anencephaly Be Treated?
Until now there is no treatment method that can be used to cure anencephaly. Almost all babies who suffer from this condition will die within a few hours or a few days after birth.
Therefore, it is very important to take steps to prevent anencephaly. A pregnant woman needs to get adequate nutritional intake from balanced nutritious foods, especially foods rich in folic acid.
Women of childbearing age and planning to become pregnant are recommended to consume at least 400 micrograms of folic acid per day. While women who are pregnant need to consume around 400-600 micrograms of folic acid per day.
While in women who have given birth to babies with neural tube defects, folic acid should be taken at least 4 milligrams (4,000 micrograms) per day, since one month before conception.
You can get folic acid from pregnancy supplements or from food. Some foods rich in folic acid are:
- Green leafy vegetables
- Nuts
- Beef liver
- Orange
- Rice
- Bread
- Cereals
- Pasta
Routine pregnancy checks to the obstetrician is also an important step to anticipate anencephaly from an early age. The doctor will give you folic acid supplements and tell you what types of food you need to eat during pregnancy, to prevent anencephaly in the fetus.
