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A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
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Prenatal intraabdominal bowel dilation is associated with postnatal gastrointestinal complications in fetuses with

Nancy G Huh1, Shinjiro Hirose, Ruth B Goldstein

  • 1Department of Radiology, University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
|January 2, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Prenatal intraabdominal bowel dilation (IBD) in fetuses with gastroschisis is linked to more postnatal complications. This risk is significantly higher for infants with multiple dilated bowel loops.

Area of Science:

  • Fetal surgery
  • Neonatal outcomes
  • Pediatric surgery

Background:

  • Gastroschisis is a congenital defect where the intestines exit the body.
  • Prenatal imaging can identify fetal anomalies, but their postnatal implications require further study.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between prenatal intraabdominal bowel dilation (IBD) and postnatal complications in fetuses diagnosed with gastroschisis.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of maternal-fetal pairs with prenatally diagnosed gastroschisis treated at UCSF (2002-2008).
  • Comparison of postnatal outcomes between fetuses with and without evidence of IBD.

Main Results:

  • Of 43 included pairs, 16 fetuses (37%) showed IBD.
  • Fetuses with IBD had significantly higher rates of postnatal bowel complications (38% vs. 7%, P = .037).
  • Multiple IBD loops were strongly associated with complications, longer enteral feeding times, and extended hospital stays compared to single loops.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal IBD is associated with increased postnatal complications in gastroschisis infants.
  • The association appears primarily driven by cases involving multiple dilated intraabdominal bowel loops.
Abstract

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