S. Africa baby with brain outside head unlikely to live
JOHANNESBURG (AP) - A South African doctor says a baby boy born earlier in July with his brain outside his head is unlikely to survive.
Dr. Lizzy Tabane, the boy's pediatrician, said Friday that nothing can be done to save him from the condition known as anencephaly.
She said, "It's a condition not compatible with life. I do not know how long the baby will hold," but the parents are hopeful.
Baby Mokoena was born on July 4 and is being monitored at a hospital in the central Free State province of South Africa.
Tabane says that babies born with anencephaly do not usually survive long. Two of her previous cases did not live beyond two weeks.
Tabane says of the main causes of the condition is vitamin and folic acid deficiencies in pregnancy.
Dr. Lizzy Tabane, the boy's pediatrician, said Friday that nothing can be done to save him from the condition known as anencephaly.
She said, "It's a condition not compatible with life. I do not know how long the baby will hold," but the parents are hopeful.
Baby Mokoena was born on July 4 and is being monitored at a hospital in the central Free State province of South Africa.
Tabane says that babies born with anencephaly do not usually survive long. Two of her previous cases did not live beyond two weeks.
Tabane says of the main causes of the condition is vitamin and folic acid deficiencies in pregnancy.
I worked in a hospital and we had a child born totally without a brain at all - lived a few moments outside the womb. I've not seen the brain of a baby but is it just the picture or what - it doesn't look like a baby's brain at all but a lump of flesh that's too big for that child's skull. Not sure, just asking...  still a very hard thing for the parents to deal with, I'm sure. Poor child! :(
I feel sad for the parents that have to go through this. Although, I have to say, if it were me, I would have terminted the pregnancy early on. Maybe they did or didn't know, the article doesn't say. It also doesn't say whether or not the child is suffering, but one would assume that with a deformity this grave, there is probably a good probability of pain.
It really makes you thankful bearing a healthy child.
That is so very sad. I wish there was something they could do for the baby.
This doctor has already seen two cases of this? Â Wow. Â Seems like a miracle they are born alive at all.
Sad, sad, sad.
 @Doxie @doxie:Â
I would bet that since it is due to vitamin & folic acid deficiencies, there are more cases in a developing nation or a third world country than we would ever see in the US.
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I hope they at least get a chance to hold & bond with the baby before he dies.
 @LocalLady I was curious so looked it up.  It actually happens in 1 of 4900 or so births here in the states, however, it is usually a case of a baby being born without a brain or much of it missing and/or part of the skull missing too.  Illustrations show a normal face but almost no skull on top because of the absence of the brain.  It happens in the first month of pregnancy before women even know they are pregnant, when the neural tubes do not close properly.  For women trying to get pregnant, it is advised they start extra folic acid before becoming pregnant.  However, cases like the one above are extremely rare.
Poor baby, poor parents. This is so sad.
I agree....sad indeed =(