anencephaly
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˌænənˈsɛfəli/
- Specialized
:
anencefalia
- Babies born with anencephaly often do not survive long after birth due to critical missing brain structures.
- defect called anencephaly
- baby with anencephaly
- birth defect anencephaly
Examples
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The doctor explained that anencephaly is caused by a failure of the neural tube to develop properly during pregnancy.
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Unfortunately, almost all babies born with anencephaly will die shortly after birth.
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And yet these are not the only decisions a family faces when they learn their child has anencephaly.
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Anencephaly happens if the upper part of the neural tube does not close all the way.
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The Centers for Disease Control explains, "Anencephaly is a serious birth defect in which a baby is born without parts of the brain and skull.
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Without wearing a newborn hat, bonnet, or wrapping, it is very apparent that anencephaly impacts the development of the baby's skull and brain formation.
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Anencephaly is a severe congenital condition where newborns are born with anencephaly due to incomplete brain development.
Synonyms
A birth defect where most of the brain, especially the top part, does not develop or is missing
Surface Forms
Morphology
anencephaly = encephaly (opaque) = an + encephal + y
The combining form 'encephal-' and the prefix 'an-' are technical Greek medical elements unfamiliar to average learners, so the meaning cannot be reliably deduced from common English vocabulary.
Etymology
Anencephaly comes from the Greek parts an- meaning 'without' and encephalon meaning 'brain'. So it literally means 'without a brain', which explains the medical condition where a major part of the brain (and often the skull and scalp) is missing at birth.