GASTROSCHISIS: A RARE DEFECT

Gastroschisis is a type of abdominal wall defect that occurs when a foetus’s abdomen does not develop fully.

The intestines usually develop inside the umbilical cord, before moving inside the abdomen a few weeks later.

However, in Gastroschisis, the abdmonial wall does not form completely, so the intestines develop outside the body. They are then open to the air when the child is born.

Only one in 3,000 babies are born with the rare condition every year.

In many cases, it is visible on prenatal ultrasound scanning

For more information, visit www. gosh.nhs.uk.