Late Presentation Of Anencephaly – Psychological Aspects And Implications

Abstract

The diagnosis of anencephaly can be made as clearly as 11 weeks gestation on ultrasound examination. Termination of pregnancy is advised once the diagnosis is made since anencephaly is not compatible with life. This paper is a case report on the ultrasound diagnosis of anencephaly in a full term pregnancy and the psychological implications. Routine ultrasound is advised at least once during each trimester to avoid late presentation of such gross anomalies, and avoid the psychological trauma that follows termination of pregnancy. When diagnosis of anencephaly is made a team consisting of obstetrician, neonatologist, paediatrician, social worker, geneticist and psychiatrist making up the support system should attend to parents of such babies, to follow them up and help them through the period of mourning which accompanies such problems. These parents may need to be provided with long-term support and counseling, regardless of when the baby is born.

Keywords: Anencephaly, Third trimester, Psychological aspects

Annals of Biomedical Science Vol. 2 (1) 2003: pp. 59-64