Pregnancy & Gastroschisis

Gastroschisis is a rare complication of pregnancy in which the fetus has a hole in his abdomen. The condition requires surgery, and prognoses differ from case to case.

Causes

Gastroschisis is caused when a fetus' abdominal wall doesn't completely close during development, resulting in a hole in the baby's abdomen. Intestines may protrude through the hole and be exposed to amniotic fluid.

Statistics

Gastroschisis occurs roughly once in every 5,000 live births. Babies of mothers in their teens and early twenties are more susceptible to the condition.

Treatment

Surgery is the treatment for gastroschisis. In the best case scenario, a surgery is performed immediately after birth in which the intestine is placed back into the body and covered by the abdominal wall. Some babies require multiple surgeries to slowly place the abdominal bowel back inside the body.

Prognosis

Prognoses differ from case to case, but most babies fully recover. Rarely death may occur from unresolved bowel problems or infection resulting from the condition or surgery.

Early diagnosis

Ultrasounds can reveal extreme cases of gastroschisis, and second trimester blood work can alert doctors to the possibility of the birth defect.

References

• University of California, San Francisco: The Fetal Treatment Center
• The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Gastroschisis