Frequency of Anencephaly in Hazara Division of Pakistan

Objectives: Study was initiated to find out the percentage of Anencephaly cases in Hazara Pakistan. Methods: This study was conducted in Ayub medical Complex Abbottabad, Pakistan, to investigate the occurrence of anencephaly cases in neonates. Pregnant women during last trimester of their pregnancies were analyzed by Ultrasonography to find neural tube defects of foetus, complete physical analyses of Anencephalic neonates were done after birth or termination of pregnancies. Results: Out of 7202 reported births at Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad during the period of 2007 to 2010, almost 1 percent of the infants born had anencephaly. The ratio of anencephaly in female neonates was found higher (64.47%) than the male babies (31.37%). Conclusion: The overall prevalence of neonatal anencephaly is however not significantly different from the other areas of the country but there is gradual increase in anencephaly cases reported every year in Hazara. It is therefore suggested that this medical complication can be prevented by medicinal therapy for instance folic acid supplements, which should be administered to pregnant women at early stage of pregnancy to minimize the risk of anencephaly occurrence in coming baby. For best results, women should take folic acid as part of a healthy diet before pregnancy, as by the time pregnancy is detected, it may be too late to attempt to prevent neural tube defects.