A severe birth defect where major portions of the brain and skull fail to develop, resulting in an incomplete or missing brain.
From Greek an- (without) plus encephalon (brain) plus -ia (condition), literally 'condition of no brain.' A medical term for a congenital neural tube defect.
Anencephalia is caused by a neural tube defect in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often preventable with prenatal folic acid supplementation—this is why prenatal vitamins are so critical and why public health campaigns have focused on folic acid awareness!
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