title: Prenatal intraabdominal bowel dilation is associated with postnatal gastrointestinal complications in fetuses with gastroschisis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine whether prenatal intraabdominal bowel dilation (IBD) is associated with increased postnatal complications in fetuses with gastroschisis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was performed on all maternal-fetus pairs with prenatally diagnosed gastroschisis that was treated at the University of California San Francisco from 2002-2008. Postnatal outcomes were compared between fetuses with and without IBD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-three of 61 maternal-fetal pairs met the criteria for inclusion. Sixteen fetuses (37%) had evidence of IBD. Fetuses with IBD were significantly more likely to have postnatal bowel complications (38% vs 7%; P = .037). The presence of multiple loops of IBD (n = 6) as opposed to a single loop (n = 10) was associated highly with bowel complications and increased time to full enteral feeding and length of hospital stay (100% vs 0% [P = .001]; 44 vs 23 days [P = .034]; 69 vs 27 days [P = .001], respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IBD is associated with increased postnatal complications in infants with prenatally diagnosed gastroschisis; however, this association seems to be limited to those with multiple loops of dilated intraabdominal bowel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Shinjiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Ruth B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D020139:Gastroschisis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D055815:Young Adult