Baby born with protruding intestines receives successful surgery
A boy born with his intestines and stomach protruding through a hole in his belly was treated in Shanghai.
A newborn boy whose intestines and stomach protrude from his body through a hole in his belly was successfully operated on, doctors announced today.
The boy suffered from a birth defect called gastroschisis, a rare but very complicated condition which affects about 2 in every 10,000 newborns.
Born on March 16, the boy's problem was discovered during prenatal checks, after which the mother was hospitalized at the Gynecology and Obstetrics Hospital of Fudan University for strict monitoring.
He was delivered in the 35th week of pregnancy as doctors found the baby was at great risk.
The newborn was then immediately transferred to the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University and received his first surgery on the same day, which returned half of the protruding organs to their correct positions inside the body.
He received another surgery six days later to move the remaining organs and close the hole they created in his belly.
The boy is now in a stable condition and doctors are confident he will recover, though it will take time for his intestinal functions to recuperate.
Experts stressed that treatment for such patients requires close cooperation between different hospitals.
“Proper prenatal diagnosis and precise and individualized treatment can greatly improve the survival and treatment effects of such children,” said Dr Zheng Shan, director of surgery department at Children's Hospital of Fudan University.
