[Prenatal care and postnatal outcome for fetuses with laparoschisis]

To assess the relevance and the quality of gastroschisis's care in a mid level referral centre.

A retrospective analysis was performed for infants diagnosed or born with gastroschisis between 1992 and 2003 at the Citadelle hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Liège.

Twenty-four cases of gastroschisis were identified. For 22 of them (92%) antenatal sonographic diagnosis was performed at a mean gestational age of 23 weeks. Antenatal diagnosis did not allow to identify additional malformation or chromosomal anomaly. Postnatal diagnosis allows to identify 3 infants with minor cardiac anomalies without functional consequence and one X fragile syndrome. One pregnancy was electively terminated at 24 weeks and one late intrauterine death was reported at 35 weeks. Bowel atresia, stenosis or ischemia were present at birth for 8 cases (33%). Out of 24 cases 22 were live born. 10 infants out of 22 (45%) underwent uncomplicated primary surgical repair. Three infants out of 22 (14%) underwent delayed closure without complications. Nine infants out 22 (41%) underwent multiple surgery (2 to 6). In this group all had postnatal complications, some with multisystem complications, including 3 deaths, 6 with infectious complications, 5 with gastrointestinal complications and 2 with genitourinary or haematological complications. Hospital stay range from 19 to 378 days (median, 51 days). Length of stay and time to full enteral feeding were longer if oligohydramnios or sonographic signs of intestinal damage were found. Among infants born before 35 weeks, only those with intestinal damage at birth had length of stay or time to full enteral feeding longer. Out of 22 live born infants 19 survived (86%) after one year. Survival rate without handicap due to gastroschisis is 84%.

Sonographic examination is a valid method for prenatal diagnosis and surveillance. Our survival rate agrees with recent data in the literature. It has to be noticed that hospital stay is lengthy and complications are frequent. The most important prognostic factor is the condition of the bowel at birth and there is no antenatal means to predict severe damage.