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What is gastroschisis, congenital malformation of the child


Understand the condition that led to Aurora, daughter of Cintia Dicker and Pedro Scooby, having surgery shortly after birth

Since Aurora, daughter of Cintia Dicker and Pedro Scooby, came into the world at the end of 2022, the hospitalization and procedures to which the little girl has undergone have attracted attention, mainly due to the lack of knowledge of the reason for her stay in the intensive care unit. This week, her mother shared in an interview with vogue what the baby was born with gastroschisis, a congenital gastrointestinal malformation which can evolve seriously if not treated quickly by specialists.




It’s worth mentioning that ‘congenital’ means the problem comes from before birth – said the 36-year-old mother received the diagnosis in early pregnancy, when performing a morphological ultrasound at the 12th week. Due to Aurora’s condition, she and Scooby were advised that the delivery would have to be a C-section and that the surgery would have to take place shortly after the delivery, which it did.

What is gastroschisis

“Gastroschisis is a congenital problem, that is, it happens in the development of the baby inside the uterus, leading to a defect of the abdominal wall, usually to the right of the navel, in which viscera – such as the intestines and eventually the stomach – protrude from the baby“explains pediatric plastic surgeon Rafael Ferreira Zatz.

According to the Clinical Management of Gastroschisis manual, of the National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescent Health, of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), the incidence of the problem varies: 4 to 5 per 10,000 live births, affecting males and females equally. The document also warns of the increase in reported cases worldwide, especially in younger mothers, such as teenagers.

“That’s a flaw needs to be treated urgently in the neonatal period. Then, once stabilized, the child needs to be operated on so that this abdominal wall problem can be corrected,” explains Zatz. The Fiocruz Manual reinforces surgery as essential and establishes 6 hours after delivery as a limit ideal for the procedure.

The pediatric plastic surgeon explains that the surgical procedure to be followed depends on the severity of the gastroschisis, since cases can be simpler or more complex. Among the most serious, for example, you can have necrosis, perforation and other aggravating problems – which will require major surgery. “But there are milder cases, which are resolved by moving the tissues and closing them with stitches,” says the specialist.

Likewise, the subsequent consequences vary, with the possibility of intestinal obstruction and even progression to short bowel syndrome, especially in complex cases. Therefore, follow-up is essential, as new procedures may be required.



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What can cause gastroschisis

“The specific cause is not fully known and there is still a lot of controversy as to whether it is just a genetic defect or whether it has some environmental effect, some influence from the mother,” Zatz points out.

There are studies, for example, which relate the malformation to the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes during pregnancy, the use of certain drugs, as well as the recurrence of urinary tract infections, but these and other possible causes are still being studied.

after the scare

Aurora was born on December 26, at 37 weeks of pregnancy (according to the doctors) and, after the procedures – surgery immediately after delivery and general anesthesia for the insertion of the intravenous tube – was discharged from the hospital on January 10. The little one is still at home with the dads.

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Source: Terra

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