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Published on: November 20, 2015
Prolonged unassisted survival in an infant with anencephaly
Holly Dickman1, Kyle Fletke2, Roberta E Redfern3
1Sylvan Lakes Family Physicians, Sylvania, Ohio, USA.
Insights
This case report details an anencephalic infant who lived 28 months without life support, defying medical literature. The study highlights challenges and recommendations for prolonged survival in anencephaly.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Congenital Malformations
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Anencephaly is a severe neural tube defect with extremely high mortality.
- Most infants with anencephaly are stillborn or die within hours or days of birth.
- Literature on prolonged survival, especially without life-sustaining interventions, is scarce.
Observation:
- This report documents an anencephalic infant who survived for 28 months.
- The infant did not require mechanical ventilation or other intensive life-sustaining measures.
- This represents the longest documented survival for an anencephalic infant under these conditions.
Findings:
- The prolonged survival presented unique clinical and care challenges.
- Management strategies adapted to the infant's specific needs were crucial.
- This case challenges established prognoses for anencephaly.
Implications:
- This case expands the understanding of potential survival timelines in anencephaly.
- It underscores the need for individualized care approaches for infants with complex congenital anomalies.
- Further research into the biological factors enabling prolonged survival in anencephaly is warranted.
Abstract:
Anencephaly is one of the most lethal congenital defects. This case report is of an anencephalic infant who lived to 28 months of life and defies current literature. She is the longest surviving anencephalic infant who did not require life-sustaining interventions. This case presents the obstacles that arose from this infant's prolonged life and recommendations based on these findings.
