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Gastroschisis: A Case Study

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A lot has changed in the field of medicine over time due to technological advances as well as increased understanding of anatomy and physiology. This also holds true for a condition known as Gastroschisis, where advances have been made in detecting and treating the condition. As a result, what was once a death sentence has become a treatable condition. Gastroschisis is an abdominal wall defect that was first described in the early 16th century. At the time it was often confused with another defect by the name of Omphalocele; it was not until 1953 that Moore and Strokes made the distinction and properly define Gastroschisis as a 1-2 cm defect of the anterior abdominal wall, usually at the umbilical cord insertion (Raković, M., Danelisen, …show more content…

Over time the baby’s bowels can become distended and exposed to the amniotic fluid which can cause irritation (GASTROSCHISIS, 2016, P.2). Due to the concerns, testing and monitoring are highly recommended so it can inform the doctors the health of the baby (GASTROSCHISIS, 2016, P.2). Around 32 weeks, doctors usually begin antenatal testing once or twice a week (GASTROSCHISIS, 2016, P.2). Babies diagnosed with Gastroschisis are usually underweight compared to a healthy normal baby. During the third trimester complications can arise relatively such as poor growth, fetal distress, and possibly a preterm caesarean section (GASTROSCHISIS, 2016, P.2). Early caesarean section can avoid fetal deaths and increase the chances of proper nutrition and growth (GASTROSCHISIS, 2016, P.2).
Surgical Treatment
The surgical part of Gastroschisis is something that has been refined by the advancement in modern medicine, whether that be technological advances or our understanding of anatomy and physiology. The scope or time in surgery is usually dependent on the amount of bowel outside of the infant’s body, if the bowel is relatively small, surgeons will insert it in and close the opening. However, “if the baby has a large amount of bowel outside the body, several surgeries may be needed.
Surgical …show more content…

Although the advancement in medicine and technology makes it possible and tolerable. Immediately after surgery some babies require the aid of a breathing machine for support. It is important to understand that the act of returning the bowels to their proper place does not amount to them instantly functioning the way it was meant. As a result the baby is unable to consume food in the normal process, to overcome this the baby will receive nutrition through an IV (GASTROSCHISIS, 2016, P.3). Doctors will also drain the baby of waste products due to the bowels not functioning properly, and the baby’s inability to process waste (GASTROSCHISIS, 2016, P.2). Once the waste being removed from the body becomes clear this is an indication that bowel movements have begun and the baby can start small incremental feeds (GASTROSCHISIS, 2016, P.3). This process can be daunting as it potentially has many setbacks. Doctors recommend and it is beneficial if human milk is given as an early feeding to the baby because their stomach and bowels are still sensitive (GASTROSCHISIS, 2016, P.3). Also, there are many reasons why breastfeeding is the best choice. It can fight against infections, diseases, and chronic conditions and infants are more likely to successfully consume the mother’s breast milk without rejecting

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