Gastroschisis is a birth defect that develops in your baby while you're pregnant. This is a condition where your baby's intestines develop outside the body due to their abdominal wall not forming properly and your baby’s organs float in amniotic fluid inside of your uterus, causing irritation and swelling.
To resolve gastroschisis, you can consult with your best paediatric surgeon in Siliguri to replace your baby's organs inside the body after birth. Though the cause of gastroschisis is unknown, there is a possible risk that could happen to anyone during pregnancy.
According to studies, the exact causes of gastroschisis are unknown but it is more common in younger women who become pregnant early and also use tobacco, smoking, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancy.
Symptoms Of Gastroschisis
- Swollen intestines
- Twisted intestines
- Stomach located outside of your baby’s body
- intestines located outside of your baby’s body
- Low body temperature
When your baby’s abdominal wall is not forming properly during fetal development, it causes gastroschisis. To avoid birth defects you can consult with your doctor before pregnancy.
Diagnosis & Treatment
The diagnosis process starts either during pregnancy or after your baby is born. Usually, you can expect 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy with prenatal tests that might ensure if your baby has birth defects or not. The process includes:
- Ultrasound:to see details of soft tissues inside your body
- Blood Screening:to check and measure any substances in your blood that could be a sign of gastroschisis
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI):to take a detailed picture of the inside of your body and the baby
Though the diagnosis can happen during your pregnancy, the surgical treatment can only be started after your baby is born. Surgery is necessary to replace and repair the belly button to prevent your baby’s organs back inside the body.
Depending on the condition such as how many organs are outside of your baby’s body, the paediatric surgeon starts the surgical process to repair gastroschisis. Usually, there are two types of surgery needed to replace your baby’s organs, 1) Primary repair, and 2) Staged repair.
There is a chance of complications regarding gastroschisis surgery that includes infection at the surgical site, and difficulty eating.
In case, if your baby has any bowel complications after gastroschisis treatment, your paediatric surgeon in Siliguri additionally performs bowel resection, and colostomy to address these conditions.
Remember, visiting a doctor during pregnancy is always a good choice and to avoid any sorts of complications, it’s much better to consult with your doctor and then become pregnant.
Following a doctor’s guide, maintaining a healthy habit will not only help to avoid complications but also help to avoid congenital issues that may affect your baby’s life.
