Gastroschisis is a birth defect in which an infant's intestines stick out of the body through a defect on one side of the umbilical cord.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Gastroschisis is a type of hernia. Hernia means "rupture.” Babies with this condition have a hole in the abdominal wall, usually on the right side of the umbilical cord. The child's intestines can be easily seen.
The condition is similar to an omphalocele in appearance. An omphalocele, however, is a birth defect in which the infant's intestine or other abdominal organs stick out of the belly button area.
Other associated congenital defects are rare in patients with gastroschisis.
Symptoms:
Lump in the abdomen
Intestine sticks through the abdominal wall near the umbilical cord
Problems with movement and absorption in the gut due to the unprotected intestine being exposed to irritating amniotic fluid
Signs and tests:
Physical examination of the infant is sufficient for the health care provider to diagnose gastroschisis. The mother may have shown signs indicating excessive amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios). Prenatal ultrasonography often identifies the gastroschisis.
Review Date: 10/8/2007
Reviewed By: Deirdre O’Reilly, MD, MPH, Neonatologist, Division of Newborn Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston and Instructor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Review Provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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Neonatology
