Malawi baby born with exposed brain, dies in Rumphi
A baby that was born without a scalp and an underdeveloped brain that exposed its brain has died.
The baby born on Wednesday to Martha Mkandawire died in the wee hours of Friday.
District Medical Officer (DMO) for Rumphi Dr Jonathan Chiwanda confirmed in an interview with Nyasa Times, saying the baby died at around 01:00 am on Friday
He said given the baby’s situation it was very unlikely to survive.
”We knew that the baby will not survive because her condition was not compatible with life in the outside.”
”Babies born in such conditions usually last for 2 hours or a day after birth,” said Dr Chiwanda.
The baby was born without a scalp and an underdeveloped skull that exposed the brain, a condition doctors said was neurotube defect.
The situation is caused by failure of the neurotube to close during the early stages of pregnancy.
Neurotube defect could be prevented if women take folic acid during the early and late stages of their pregnancy, doctors said.
In a separate interview the mother said she was devastated by the death of the baby who despite her condition, remained her child .
