Seventeen-Day Survival in Anencephaly from a Resource-Limited Neonatal Unit in Togo: a case report

Background Anencephaly is a severe and usually fatal neural tube defect marked by the absence of the cerebral hemispheres. Most affected infants are either stillborn or live only a few hours to several days after birth. Reports from resource-limited settings remain relatively rare. Case Presentation We report the case of a female newborn of West African origin delivered via cesarean section at Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital in Lomé, Togo. The pregnancy was notable for first-trimester bleeding and limited access to prenatal care. At birth, the newborn presented an absence of frontal and parietal cranial bones, exposing neural tissue. The rest of the physical examination was unremarkable. Despite the severity of her condition, the newborn survived for 17 days with supportive care in the neonatal unit. Conclusion This case highlights the occurrence of anencephaly in a resource-limited setting and the challenges of prenatal diagnosis and prevention where access to screening is limited. Improving prenatal care and increasing access to folic acid supplementation and prenatal ultrasound could help reduce the incidence of neural tube defects.