10 YEAR STUDY OF ANENCEPHALY

Abstract

The incidence of anen-cephaly at the Los Angeles County General Hospital during the period of July, 1948 through June, 1958 was 0.049%. Worldwide the range of reported incidence is 0.012% to 0.671%. Of the total number 65% of anencephalics delivered were females. Polyhydramnios appeared in 38% of the anencephalic pregnancies of this study, while 15% of the deliveries were complicated by placenta praevia. Of the multiparae 48% gave a history of previous stillbirths or abortions. Evidence from stillbirth statistics would seem to indicate that anencephaly is primarily a genetically induced phenomenon.