Esophageal Atresia – A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Among congenital malformations of the gastrointestinal tract, the most frequent pathology is the esophageal atresia. The subsequent implications are impairment of physiological processes, such as feeding or swallowing, followed by various complications. We performed a retrospective study for ten years at the Clinical Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology "Dr. I.A. Sbârcea" in Braşov. There were registered 42751 newborns, of which 23 have been diagnosed with esophageal atresia. We found that those infants with an antenatal diagnosis and proper pregnancy care were associated with better outcomes. Factors such as the technical advances in ultrasonography and appropriate routine prenatal follow-up during pregnancy have a potentially significant influence on the prognosis of these patients.