anencephaly

[ an-en-sef-uh-lee ]

noun

, Medicine/Medical.

1. congenital absence of part or all of the brain.

Other Words From

• an·en·ce·phal·ic [an-en-s, uh, -, fal, -ik, an-en-], anen·cepha·lous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of anencephaly¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1825–35; an- ¹, encephal-, -y ³

Example Sentences

Cases of spina bifida dropped 31% and anencephaly declined by 16% after the fortification mandate, according to a federal study cited in the journal Teratology.

From Seattle Times

The importance of women having enough folic acid in their bodies before and during pregnancy to prevent permanent and life-threatening birth defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, has been known for decades.

From Science Daily

When she was 11 weeks pregnant, her fetus was diagnosed with anencephaly, a fatal condition in which a baby is born without parts of a brain and skull.

From New York Times

Casiano had been denied an abortion months earlier after she found out her baby had anencephaly, a fatal condition.

From Los Angeles Times

Samantha Casiano, a 29-year-old living in eastern Texas, found out halfway through her pregnancy last year that her daughter, Halo, had a rare diagnosis of anencephaly, where much of the skull and brain is missing.

From Washington Times