Limb body wall complex (LBWC) is a rare

fetal A fetus or foetus (; plural fetuses, feti, foetuses, or foeti) is the unborn offspring that develops from an animal embryo. Following embryonic development the fetal stage of development takes place. In human prenatal development, fetal develo ...

malformation A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can r ...

of unknown origins. Traditionally diagnosis has been based on the Van Allen et al., criteria, i.e. the presence of two out of three of the following anomalies: #

Exencephaly Exencephaly is a type of cephalic disorder wherein the brain is located outside of the skull. This condition is usually found in embryos as an early stage of anencephaly. As an exencephalic pregnancy progresses, the neural tissue gradually degenerat ...

encephalocele Encephalocele is a neural tube defect characterized by sac-like protrusions of the brain and the membranes that cover it through openings in the skull. These defects are caused by failure of the neural tube to close completely during fetal develop ...

with facial clefts # Thoraco and or abdominoschisis and # Limb defects. LBWC occurs in approximately 0.32 in 100,000 births. At this time, there is no known cause of Limb Body Wall Complex. However, there have been tentative links made between a diagnosis of LBWC and cocaine use. In addition, current research has shown that there may be a genetic cause for a small limited number of LBWC cases. Limb Body Wall Complex is a lethal birth defect. There are only anecdotal stories of survivors.

References

{{reflist Congenital disorders of musculoskeletal system Rare diseases Embryology