Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Procurement for a Vascularized and Reinnervated Abdominal Wall Allotransplantation
Published on: July 18, 2025
Outcome of antenatally diagnosed abdominal wall defects
N Fratelli1, A T Papageorghiou, A Bhide
1Fetal Medicine Unit, Academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
Insights
Antenatal diagnosis of abdominal wall defects like omphalocele and gastroschisis reveals varied outcomes. While gastroschisis has a high survival rate, omphalocele outcomes are significantly impacted by chromosomal and structural abnormalities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Neonatology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Background:
- Antenatal diagnosis of abdominal wall defects (AWDs) allows for early intervention planning.
- Omphalocele and gastroschisis are the most common AWDs, each with distinct natural histories and outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the natural history and detailed outcomes of fetuses diagnosed with abdominal wall defects antenatally.
- To analyze survival rates and complications associated with omphalocele and gastroschisis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of antenatal reports, pediatric surgery records, and follow-up data.
- Analysis of 109 cases of omphalocele and gastroschisis diagnosed over a 10-year period at a tertiary referral center.
Main Results:
- Omphalocele cases (67) showed high rates of chromosomal abnormalities (39%) and terminations (33%). Survival in ongoing omphalocele cases was 63%, with lower survival in isolated cases (44%) versus those with abnormalities (20%).
- Gastroschisis cases (42) were predominantly isolated (95%). Most fetuses (90%) survived to delivery, with an 11% neonatal mortality rate, primarily due to small bowel atresia complications.
Conclusions:
- Antenatal diagnosis of omphalocele is associated with a low neonatal survival rate (18%), though postoperative morbidity is low.
- Antenatally diagnosed gastroschisis demonstrates a high survival rate to delivery (90%), but significant neonatal mortality (11%) persists due to complications.
Objective:
To examine the natural history and detailed outcome of antenatally diagnosed abdominal wall defects.
Methods:
This was a retrospective review of the antenatal reports, pediatric surgery records and subsequent follow-up information of all cases of omphalocele and gastroschisis diagnosed in a 10-year period in our tertiary referral center.
Results:
There were 109 cases of abdominal wall defects, including omphalocele in 67 cases and gastroschisis in 42 cases. Of the 67 cases of omphalocele there were 26 (39%) with chromosomal abnormalities and 22 (33%) underwent termination of pregnancy, mainly for associated structural abnormalities. Of the ongoing 19 cases there were five (26%) in-utero deaths, 12 (63%) survivors and two (11%) neonatal deaths, both associated with prematurity. Excluding chromosomal abnormalities, the survival rate in isolated omphalocele was 7/16 (44%) whilst it was 5/25 (20%) in those with associated abnormalities. Gastroschisis was isolated in 40 (95%) cases. Among these 40 isolated cases there were two (5%) terminations. Of the 38 ongoing cases, there were two (5%) in-utero deaths, and 36 (95%) live births. Four of the 36 liveborn infants (11%) died in the postoperative period owing to complications of small bowel atresia.
Conclusions:
Although only 18% of infants with antenatally diagnosed omphalocele were alive in the neonatal period, postoperative morbidity was low. The majority (90%) of fetuses with antenatally diagnosed gastroschisis survived to delivery, but the mortality in affected newborns was 11%.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Muscles of the Abdomen
Anterolateral Region
The anterolateral region comprises five paired muscles classified into the lateral and anterior...
01:30Aneurysm I: Introduction