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Healio

American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting
May 31, 2016
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Prevention strategies critical for those at risk for anencephaly

Preconception counseling and other primary and secondary prevention strategies targeting populations at risk for anencephaly are important to protect these groups, according to data presented at the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting.

The researchers, including Isamarie Alcantara, MD, of the Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, in Bronx, N.Y., also noted the importance of adopting measures to prevent neural tube defects (NTD), and the need for additional research to evaluate the genetic, socioeconomic and environmental factors predisposing NTD.

Alcantara and colleagues presented the case of a 32-year-old woman in Mexico with a history of two pregnancies that both resulted in anencephalic fetuses. The researchers reviewed the risk factors for the index case and presented a systematic literature review on anencephaly.

According to the researchers, folic acid deficiency, maternal low socioeconomic status, genetics, hereditary predispositions, and Hispanic origin, particularly Mexican origin, are risk factors for anencephaly development. Mexico has one of the highest incidences of anencephaly in the world, with a rate of 13.34 per 10,000 births, they added. The patient in the case study was originally from Puebla, one of the most affected regions in the country, illustrating the impact of the genetic predisposition for the condition when other risk factors are absent.

“This case is an example of a vulnerable population for development of anencephaly,” Alcantara and colleagues wrote. “It highlights the importance of primary and secondary preventive strategies that can be targeted to these groups.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.

Reference:

Alcantara I, et al. Anencephaly in Mexican population: A case report and review of literature. Presented at: The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting; May 14-17, 2016; Washington, D.C.