Share

3-year-old boy born without a brain dies

A US boy who survived three years without a brain has died.

Nickolas Coke surprised doctors after he was born with only a brain stem. Most babies with that condition are stillborn or die shortly after birth.

According to KOAA-TV, the boy survived without medical equipment and was playing with pumpkins before he died earlier this week. 

Nickolas' condition is known as anencephaly. The Coke family lives in Pueblo, outside Colorado Springs.

What is anecephaly?

According to the US National Library of Medicine, anencephaly is one of the most common neural tube defects. Neural tube defects are birth defects that affect the tissue that grows into the spinal cord and brain.

It typically occurs early in the development of an unborn baby and results when the upper part of the neural tube fails to close. Why this happens is not known. Possible causes include environmental toxins and low intake of folic acid by the mother during pregnancy.

Anencephaly occurs in about 1 out of 10,000 births. The exact number is unknown, because many of these pregnancies result in miscarriage. Having one infant with this condition increases the risk of having another child with neural tube defects.

 

Symptoms of anencephaly

  • Absence of the skull
  • Absence of the brain (cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum)
  • Facial feature abnormalities
  • Heart defects

 

 

 

Signs and tests

The US National Library of Medicine states that a pregnancy ultrasound is the best way to confirm a diagnosis and will often then reveal too much fluid is in the uterus. This condition is called polyhydramnios.

Other tests performed include:

  • Amniocentesis (to look for increased levels of alpha-fetoprotein)

  • Alpha-fetoprotein level (increased levels suggest a neural tube defect)

  • Urine estriol level

A pre-pregnancy serum folic acid test may also be done.

 

 

(Source: AP, US National Library of Medicine)

Read more:

AFP test in pregnancy

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE