Omphalocele: definition, symptoms, causes, treatment, etc.

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Definition

What is an omphalocele?

Omphalocele or omphalocele is a birth defect in babies that makes the intestines, liver, and other organs of the baby's body outside the stomach.

The discharge of the baby's abdominal organs in the omphalocele or omphalocele condition is due to a hole in the navel area.

Both the intestines, liver and other organs of the baby's body that come out of the stomach through the hole in the navel are only covered by a sac or a thin, almost transparent layer.

Because it is only protected by a thin layer or pocket, this makes the baby's organs that come out of the stomach easily visible.

Omphalocele or omphalocele is a condition that occurs very early during pregnancy or more precisely when the process of forming the baby's abdominal cavity does not go well.

The baby's abdominal cavity usually begins to form at 3 weeks gestation until 4 weeks gestation.

Then when the development of the baby has entered the gestational age of 6 weeks to 10 weeks of gestation, the size of the intestine becomes longer.

The intestine increases in length and pushes its position out of the stomach into the baby's umbilical cord. Normally, at 11 weeks of gestation the intestine should return to the stomach.

However, if the intestine does not re-enter the stomach at that gestational age, an omphalocele or omphalocele can occur.

How common is this condition?

Omfalocele is a rare condition of birth defects in babies because it can be experienced by 1 in 4,000-7,000 births.

Babies born with omphalocele or omphalocele generally also experience other birth defects such as heart defects, neural tube defects, to chromosomal abnormalities.

You can reduce your risk of developing this disease by reducing the risk factors that both you and your baby have. Consult with your doctor to find out more information.

Signs & Symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of an omphalocele?

The main symptom of an omphalocele or omphalocele condition is that the baby's abdominal organs are clearly visible because they stick out through the navel. Some of the signs and symptoms of omphalocele or omphalocele are as follows:

• There is a hole in the baby's navel
• The intestine is outside the stomach covered by a sac or protective layer

Omphalocele or omphalocele is a condition that can occur in small or large sizes.

Omphalocele small size is the presence of a small part of the organs outside the stomach, for example, only part of the intestine. In contrast, a large omphalocele is the presence of many organs outside the stomach, for example the intestines, liver and spleen.

Omphalocele or large omphalocele is a condition that can occur due to failure in the process of embryo development, which makes the abdominal cavity unable to withstand the weight of the abdominal organs.

The reason is, at that time the abdominal cavity was only covered by a thin membrane called the omphalocele sac or omphalocele.

When to see a doctor?

If you have concerns about the growth, development or appearance of certain symptoms in your little one, immediately consult a doctor.

The health condition of each person is different, including babies. Always consult a doctor in order to get the best treatment regarding the health condition of your baby.

Cause

What causes omphalocele?

So far it is not known what the exact cause of omphalocele is. However, there are babies who experience omphalocele or omphalocele because of changes in genes or chromosomes in their bodies.

According to the US National Library of Medicine, omphalocele or omphalocele is a condition that can occur due to a genetic syndrome.

Nearly half of babies who have omphalocele or omphalocele develop the condition as a result of an additional copy of one of the chromosomes in each cell of the body (trisomy).

In fact, about a third of babies born with omphalocele or omphalocele also have a genetic condition known as Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

This makes babies born with omphalocele or omphalocele and certain genetic conditions show additional signs and symptoms related to the problem.

In addition, omfaolekel can also be caused by a combination of genes and various other factors. Take, for example, the environment around the mother when she is pregnant, the food and drink the mother consumes, and the drugs the mother takes during pregnancy.

Risk Factors

What increases your risk of getting an omphalocele?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some of the risk factors for omphalocele or omphalocele conditions are as follows:

Smoking and drinking alcohol

Women or pregnant women who drink alcohol are more at risk of having a baby with an omphalocele condition than women or pregnant women who don't drink alcohol.

Likewise, pregnant women or women who are heavy smokers, for example, more than one pack per day, also have the same risk of having a baby with omphalocele or omphalocele.

Take medication while pregnant

Pregnant women who use drugs selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors or selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) at high risk for delivering a baby with omphalocele or omphalocele.

Meanwhile, pregnant women who do not use these drugs have a lower risk.

Obesity

Mothers who are obese before becoming pregnant are generally at greater risk of giving birth to babies with omphalocele or omphalocele conditions.

That is why it is recommended that you get the ideal body weight before becoming pregnant or when planning a pregnancy.

Medicines & Medicines

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

What are the usual tests to diagnose an omphalocele?

Omphalocele or omphalocele is a condition that can be diagnosed during pregnancy and after the baby is born.

During pregnancy

Pregnancy checks to find out the risk of omphalocele can be done with a screening test, aka a prenatal test.

This test aims to check the baby's health condition as well as the possibility of birth defects while the baby is developing in the womb.

If the baby has an ompholacele, the screening test will show abnormal results, especially on blood or serum tests.

Not only that, omphalocele can also be diagnosed through ultrasonography (USG) which is performed in the second and third trimester of pregnancy.

If necessary, the doctor may also order ultrasound examination of the heart or echocardiography of the fetus before birth.

This examination is intended to find out whether the baby's heart function is working normally or is having problems.

After the baby is born

Meanwhile, in some other cases, omphalocele in babies may not be diagnosed while he is still in the womb.

On the other hand, this condition will then be clearly seen when the baby is born or by examination when it is newborn.

The doctor can also perform further tests with x-rays or x-rays to see if there are any problems with the baby's other organs.

What are the treatment options for omphalocele?

Treatment for babies with omphalocele or omphalocele depends on several factors, including:

• Omfalocele size
• The presence of chromosomal abnormalities and other birth defects
• The gestational age of the baby

If the condition is small, it can usually be treated with surgery or surgery immediately after the baby is born. This is so that the intestine can go back into the stomach and the hole in the navel is closed.

If the omfakel condition is large, the treatment is usually done in stages. The organs that are outside the stomach may be covered first with a special material. Only then will the organs slowly be inserted back into the stomach.

After all the organs that were outside the stomach have returned to the inside, only then can the navel closure.

Complications

What are the possible complications of this condition?

The fetus in the womb with an omphalocele will generally develop slowly before birth.

This condition is also called intrauterine or growth retardation i ntra uterine growth restriction.

Babies with these conditions are likely to be born prematurely or earlier. Complications that can be experienced by babies with omphalocele conditions are congenital heart disease and lung problems.

The existence of this lung problem can be caused by the position of the abdominal organs affecting the chest wall. When the abdominal organs are not positioned properly, the chest wall is not formed properly.

The condition then leaves less space than it should be for the development of the lungs. As a result, babies who experience omphalocele or omphalocele become difficult to breathe, and may even need help from special equipment.

However, in some rare cases, babies with omphalocele or omphalocele develop breathing problems as a child and then have recurrent lung infections or asthma as adults. Meanwhile, large omphalocele cases have the risk of being fatal to the baby.

In addition, the most common risk is when the thin membrane covering the omphalocele breaks or peels off. This condition can cause an infection of the organs in the stomach.

Plus the internal organs need to be twisted and affect the blood intake to these organs. As a result, this condition can result in organ death.