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Risk factors for short- and long-term morbidity in children with esophageal atresia

Julie Castilloux1, Angela J Noble, Christophe Faure

  • 1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Hôpital Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|February 4, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Early factors predict morbidity in infants with esophageal atresia. Complications are common in the first year and beyond, with factors like twin birth and low birth weight indicating higher risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Neonatal Outcomes
  • Congenital Malformations

Background:

  • Esophageal atresia (EA) presents significant short- and long-term challenges for affected infants.
  • Understanding early predictive factors is crucial for managing EA-related morbidity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe short-term and long-term outcomes in patients with esophageal atresia.
  • To identify early predictive factors for morbidity within the first month of life.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of 134 children with EA born between 1990 and 2005.
  • Definition of complicated evolution included severe reflux, strictures, fistulas, feeding difficulties, tracheomalacia, respiratory disease, or death.

Main Results:

  • 49% and 54% of patients experienced complicated evolution before and after 1 year of age, respectively.
  • Early predictors of morbidity included twin birth, preoperative intubation, low birth weight, long gap EA, anastomotic leak, and delayed oral feeding.
  • Prolonged hospital stay (>30 days) significantly increased the risk of complicated evolution.

Conclusions:

  • Specific early factors are highly predictive of morbidity in infants with esophageal atresia.
  • Identifying these factors allows for targeted interventions to improve patient outcomes.
Abstract

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