Diagnosis and Symptoms
Testing the pregnant mother’s blood for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) will show an elevated level of AFP if gastroschisis is present. The disorder may also be detected by fetal ultrasound. Infants with gastroschisis usually have a 5-cm vertical opening in the abdominal wall to the side of the umbilical cord. Often a large part of the small intestine protrudes through this opening and lies on the outside of the abdomen. In some infants the large intestine and other organs may also come through the opening.
Infants with gastroschisis frequently have a low birth weight or are born prematurely. They may also have other congenital malformations, such as insufficient bowel development (atresia), or the gastroschisis may be part of a genetic disorder or syndrome.
Treatment
Many cases of gastroschisis can be corrected surgically. The abdominal wall is stretched and the intestinal contents gently placed back inside. Sometimes the surgery cannot be done right away because the intestines are swollen. In this case, the intestines are covered with a special pouch until the swelling goes down enough that they can be placed back inside the body.
Once the intestines are back inside the body, any other abnormalities such as atresia can be treated. It takes several weeks for the bowels to begin to work normally. During that time, the infant receives nutrition intravenously (total parenteral nutrition). Some infants born with gastroschisis recover fully after surgery, but some may develop complications or require special formulas for feeding. How well the infant does depends upon any associated intestinal problems.
Information for this article was taken from:
Glasser, J. G. (2004). Omphalocele and gastroschisis. eMedicine, accessed at http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic1642.htm
