THE INFLUENCE OF ANENCEPHALY UPON INTRAUTERINE GROWTH OF FETUS AND PLACENTA AND UPON GESTATION LENGTH

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Abstract
Summary: In order to determine the influence of anencephaly upon the intrauterine growth of fetus and placenta, and upon gestation length, 147 pregnancies with anencephaly were analyzed and compared with a control group.There appeared to be a lower rate of intrauterine growth of the fetus and of the placenta in the anencephalic group. The birthweights of the anencephalic infants were much lower than those of the control group, but showed a steady increase which continued beyond term so that a birthweight level was achieved which was similar to that reached by the control group at term. The placentae of the anencephalic group showed a decreased weight in a high percentage of the cases, although this trend was less pronounced than for the birthweights.The mean gestation length was significantly shorter in the anencephalic group than in the control group. Spontaneously born anencephalics from pregnancies with no hydramnios had a mean gestation length which was not significantly different from that of the control group. The distribution over the maturity periods differed significantly, however, in the high percentage of prematurely and postmaturely born anencephalic infants.Short gestation length in anencephaly, on the one hand, is not due solely to hydramnios or to maternal factors; absence of hydramnios, on the other hand, is not invariably associated with prolonged gestation. Our observations do not support the suggestion that the anencephalic fetus might be the human analogue to the hypophysectomized lamb, nor that the pituitary‐adrenal axis, of importance in the initiation of labour in sheep, plays the same role in humans.

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