How Do You Spell ANENCEPHALUS?

Pronunciation: [ˈe͡ɪnnsɪfˌaləs] (IPA)

Anencephalus is a medical term that refers to a rare congenital disorder in which the brain and skull of a fetus do not develop properly. The correct spelling of this word is "a-n-e-n-c-e-p-h-a-l-u-s". In IPA phonetic transcription, it would be pronounced as /əˌnɛnsɛˈfæləs/. The prefix "an-" means "without", while the word "encephalus" refers to the brain. Together, they convey the idea of an absence of brain development in a fetus, which can lead to serious health issues and often proves fatal.

ANENCEPHALUS Meaning and Definition

1. Anencephalus is a medical condition that affects human embryos, resulting in the incomplete development of the brain and skull. It is a severe neural tube defect characterized by the absence of a major portion of the brain, including the forebrain, cerebral hemispheres, and the cerebellum. As a result, babies born with anencephalus have an underdeveloped, rudimentary brain and a partial or total absence of the skull.

   This condition occurs during the early stages of embryonic development when the neural tube, from which the brain and spinal cord develop, fails to close completely. Anencephalus is typically diagnosed during prenatal development through ultrasound examination or maternal blood tests measuring alpha-fetoprotein levels.

   Sadly, infants born with anencephalus experience severe neurological impairment and are usually unable to survive for a long time beyond birth. Most babies born with the condition either die soon after birth or are stillborn. The few infants who do survive may only live for a few hours, days, or weeks due to the vital lack of brain function.

   Although the exact cause of anencephalus is not completely understood, it is thought to be influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Folic acid deficiency in the mother's diet is considered one of the risk factors for the development of this condition.

   Treatments for anencephalus are limited, as the condition is not curable. Therefore, management primarily focuses on providing supportive care to the infant and counseling support to parents during pregnancy and afterbirth.

2. A monster without a brain.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for ANENCEPHALUS

• anencephalic
• anencephalous
• znencephalus
• snencephalus
• wnencephalus
• qnencephalus
• abencephalus
• amencephalus
• ajencephalus
• ahencephalus
• anwncephalus
• ansncephalus
• andncephalus
• anrncephalus
• an4ncephalus
• an3ncephalus
• anebcephalus
• anemcephalus
• anejcephalus
• anehcephalus

Etymology of ANENCEPHALUS

The word "anencephalus" is derived from the Greek roots "an-" meaning "without" and "enkephalos" meaning "brain". Anencephalus is a medical term used to describe a severe birth defect in which a baby is born without parts or all of the brain and skull.

Plural form of ANENCEPHALUS is ANENCEPHALI