Professional Version. Home. Injuries and Poisoning. Electrical and Lightning Injuries. How electricity affects the body. Intensity of the current. Type of current. Pathway of the current.
Because anencephaly is caused by abnormalities of the neural tube, it is classified as a neural tube defect. Because the neural tube fails to close properly, the developing brain and spinal cord are exposed to the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus in the womb.
Valproate and Birth Defect Risk. Valproate use during pregnancy increases the risk of major malformations, including neural tube defects. In the United States, about 1 in 1500 babies is born with a neural tube defect. The risk of neural tube defects is much higher in babies born to mothers treated with valproate during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, with the risk increasing to 1 in 20 babies.