Gastroschisis is a congenital defect seen among newborn babies who are born with their organs outside the body. This can be as commonly occurring as 1 in 2000 births.
This is a defect that occurs when the abdominal wall has not developed and closed fully over the digestive organs which then stay outside the body.
At times, it may be just a few loops of the intestine that protrude while at other times, everything including the small and large intestines, the stomach, liver and rectum expose out.
There is a little chance that this abnormality is able to be detected in the early part of pregnancy and will likely be detected only later. The usual course of action is administration of antibiotics upon birth, placing of organs in sterile bag for protection and the placing of an NG tube in the baby’s nose or mouth. Immediate surgery usually follows. There may be more surgeries and several weeks of recovery required.
