Anencephaly is a dangerous condition that affects a baby, where he is born without some part of the brain and skull bones. The risk of a baby being born with this condition will increase if the mother is deficient in folic acid during pregnancy.
Anencephaly is one of the abnormalities in the formation of fetal nerve tubes. This disease makes the baby's brain, skull, spine, or spinal cord not formed properly.
It is very important to know how to reduce the risk of anencephaly, considering there are no treatment methods that can be used to save babies from this condition.
Causes of Anencephaly
The exact cause of anencephaly (anencephaly) is not known with certainty, but there are a number of factors that are thought to increase the risk of babies experiencing this condition, namely:
- Genetic disorders.
- Lack of certain nutrients, especially folic acid.
- Exposure to toxic substances from the environment, and drugs or food consumed by mothers during pregnancy.
- Born to mothers who suffer from obesity or diabetes.
- Mothers are often exposed to high temperatures, for example when soaking in warm water, taking a steam bath (sauna), or fever.
Folic acid deficiency is often cited as a cause of this condition. Folic acid (vitamin B9) itself is one type of nutrition found in many types of foods and supplements. This substance is needed by pregnant women to help produce red blood cells, and support the development of the fetus and prevent disability.
Can Anencephaly Be Treated?
Until now there has been 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, prevention of anencephaly is a very important thing to do. A pregnant woman needs to get adequate nutrition from balanced nutritious foods, especially foods that are rich in folic acid.
Women of childbearing age and planning to become pregnant are advised to consume at least 400 micrograms of folic acid per day. While women who are pregnant need to consume about 400-600 micrograms of folic acid per day.
While in women who have had babies with neural tube defects, folic acid must be consumed at least 4 milligrams (4,000 micrograms) per day, from one month before fertilization.
Folic acid can be obtained from pregnancy supplements or from food. Some foods that are rich in folic acid are:
- Green leafy vegetables
- Nuts
- Cow liver
- Orange
- Rice
- Bread
- Cereals
- Pasta
Routine check up to the obstetrician's pregnancy is also an important step to anticipate anencephaly from an early age. The doctor will give folic acid supplements and tell what types of foods that need to be consumed during pregnancy, to prevent anencephaly in the fetus.
Comments
Post a Comment