Understanding Congenital Complete Esophageal Atresia
Congenital Complete Esophageal Atresia (Esophageal Atresia) is one cause of breathing difficulties in infants, presenting from the time of birth. Symptoms usually start mildly, such as rapid breathing, a raspy sound in the throat, excessive drooling, and choking on water or milk from the first feeding. This can lead to complications like pneumonia, increasing the risk and length of treatment
Diagnosing the Condition
Doctors can diagnose these infants immediately at birth, or even before birth. The outcome of the treatment depends on how quickly the condition is diagnosed, such as
- Ultrasound examination of the fetal abdomen can show a missing Stomach Bubble in cases where the mother has excessive amniotic fluid, this is associated with a 30 – 70% likelihood of esophageal atresia conditions.
- Postnatal diagnosis in newborns from mothers with a history of excessive amniotic fluid during pregnancy should be closely monitored for symptoms indicative of gastrointestinal obstructions, especially conditions related to respiratory tracts such as pneumonia development and its severity, including the severity of associated disabilities. This then leads to immediate surgical intervention for the esophageal atresia in prepared infants within the first week of life (1 – 7 days).
