US Faces More Cases of Gastroschisis

According to a new report issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more children are born with a severe birth defect called gastroschisis. The US faces more of gastroschisis and it would seem that children born to African-American women are more likely to have this birth defect.

On Thursday, the CDC issued a nationwide alert regarding the ever increasing number of birth defect cases. In order to see how many cases have emerged over the last years, the CDC had to study the health reports from approximately 14 counties.

According to their appraisal of the situation, the number of gastroschisis cases has doubled over the last 18 years for all age groups and races. But it would seem that the situation is far more dramatic for teen African-American mothers. Health researchers working for the CDC have established that the number of gastroschisis case among teen African-American mother has increased by 250 percent over the last two decades.

The health specialists working for the CDC are trying to establish what prompted this spike and why are the young African-American mother predisposed at giving birth to a child who exhibits this defect.

According to medical literature, gastroschisis is an intricate birth defect which takes place during the embryo period. Due to factors, which have yet to be discovered, the baby’s abdominal wall forms incorrectly. Moreover, in many cases, the abdominal wall doesn’t close at all, leaving a hole in the baby’s tummy. As a result, very often the small intestine will extend outside of the abdominal cavity. In more severe cases of gastroschisis, even the stomach and the liver can extend outside the abdominal cavity.

Over time, the organs can become irritated when exposed to the environment inside the uterus. Moreover, the condition can lead to enlarged of swollen organs, which in time can become infected. The doctors can detect this type of defect in time if pregnant women attend regular ultrasound session.

The birth defect can be corrected through surgery, which usually takes place a few weeks after the baby was delivered. Unfortunately, even though the surgeon manages to push the organs back into the abdominal cavity and seals the whole, most of the babies born with this defect will experience issues such as gastrointestinal reflux. Moreover, they will have a hard time digesting their meals which in time leads to stunted growth.

CDC reported that the US face more cases of gastroschisis and that children born to teen African-American mother are more likely to develop such a defect in the embryo period.

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