Symptoms of Anencephaly

General information about symptoms of Anencephaly: The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible symptoms of Anencephaly. This symptom information has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of symptoms of Anencephaly. Furthermore, symptoms of Anencephaly may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of symptoms and whether they are indeed symptoms of Anencephaly.

List of symptoms of Anencephaly: The list of symptoms mentioned in various sources for Anencephaly includes:

Symptoms of Anencephaly: Anencephaly occurs when the "cephalic" or head end of the neural tube fails to close, resulting in the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp. Infants with this disorder are born without both a forebrain (the front part of the brain) and a cerebrum (the thinking and coordinating area of the brain). The remaining brain tissue is often exposed--not covered by bone or skin. The infant is usually blind, deaf, unconscious, and unable to feel pain. Although some individuals with anencephaly may be born with a rudimentary brain stem, the lack of a functioning cerebrum permanently rules out the possibility of ever gaining consciousness. Reflex actions such as respiration (breathing) and responses to sound or touch may occur. ¹

More symptoms of Anencephaly: In addition to the above information, to get a full picture of the possible symptoms of this condition and its related conditions, it may be necessary to examine symptoms that may be caused by complications of Anencephaly, underlying causes of Anencephaly, associated conditions for Anencephaly, risk factors for Anencephaly, or other related conditions.

Medical articles on symptoms: These general reference articles may be of interest:

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from NINDS Anencephaly Information Page: NINDS

Last revision: May 20, 2003

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