title: Postnatal outcome of fetuses with the prenatal diagnosis of gastroschisis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the postnatal outcome and complications that arise in infants with the prenatal diagnosis of gastroschisis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prenatal sonograms with the diagnosis of gastroschisis were identified. Maternal age, indication for sonography, gestational age at diagnosis, other sonographic abnormalities, and postnatal outcome were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-eight fetuses at 14.3 to 36 weeks' gestation had the diagnosis of gastroschisis on sonography. In 14 cases (14%), other fetal anomalies were identified, including hydronephrosis, hydrocephalus, coarctation of the aorta, and a limb anomaly. Bowel dilatation developed in 72 of 84 cases (86%) followed prenatally with sonography, and bowel wall thickening developed in 40 of 73 cases (55%). On postnatal follow-up, 57 of 68 infants (84%) had postnatal complications, many with multisystem complications, including 6 deaths, 40 with bowel-related complications, 30 with infectious complications, and 32 with anomalies involving other systems (genitourinary, cardiac, and central nervous system). The postnatal outcome did not correlate with the presence of bowel dilatation or bowel wall thickening on prenatal sonography. Only 11 infants (16.2%) had a completely uncomplicated postsurgical course. Hospital stays in survivors (n = 92) ranged from 8 to 307 days (mean, 53 days).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although reported survival rates are good for gastroschisis, the postoperative hospital stay is often lengthy, and complications are very common, especially those related to the gastrointestinal tract. Associated anomalies were more common in our study than previously reported.
authors: Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. sdurfee@partners.org
authors: Sara M
authors: SM
authors: Durfee
authors: Carol B
authors: CB
authors: Benson
authors: Sonia R
authors: SR
authors: Adams
authors: Jeffrey
authors: J
authors: Ecker
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: House
authors: Russell
authors: R
authors: Jennings
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Katz
authors: Courtenay
authors: C
authors: Pettigrew
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Wolfberg
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D020139:Gastroschisis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*