[Prenatally diagnosed intestinal obstruction--contribution of pediatric surgery]

The diagnosis of a small intestinal obstruction was made prenatally between the 31st and 36th week of pregnancy in 7 patients with neonatal ileus. Five newborns showed a meconium-peritonitis, a meconium-ileus and the last a ileal atresia. These were compared with newborns with small intestinal obstruction, which had not been diagnosed prenatally. The analysis of our hospital information indicates, that primarily serious forms of ileus and intestinal perforations are diagnosed prenatally, whilst isolated small intestinal obstruction often avoids diagnosis. For this reason, diagnostic punctation of the foetal abdomen contribute little to the establishment of the etiology of the obstruction and should be avoided. On the other hand, punctation of a foetal ascites can, through pressure reduction of the abdomen, lengthen the duration of pregnancy and permit a spontaneous birth.