Omphalocele

Omphalocele (pronounced "um-fal-o-seel") is a congenital defect (that is, a birth defect that is apparent when the baby is born). When a baby is born with an omphalocele, some or all of the baby's abdominal organs are outside his or her body, covered by a thin membrane. This is a very serious, life-threatening birth defect that needs treatment as soon after birth as possible.

In addition, it's estimated that 25 –40 percent of babies born with this abdominal wall defect also have other birth defects such as a genetic abnormality, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, or abnormalities of other organs or body parts such as the digestive system, heart, spine, urinary system and limbs.

What Is an Omphalocele?

Long before a baby's birth, between the 6th and 10th weeks of the pregnancy, the baby's intestines project into the umbilical cord as they are growing. Normally, by the 11th week of the pregnancy, the intestines return to the baby's abdomen. When the baby's intestines (and maybe other abdominal organs such as the liver and spleen) don't return to the abdominal cavity as they should, the baby can be born with those organs outside his or her body: an omphalocele.

No one knows what causes an omphalocele. There may be multiple causes and contributing factors, too. It's also not known whether omphaloceles are sometimes a drug-related birth defect; they don't have a clear link to anything a mother might be doing during the pregnancy. An omphalocele can usually be seen on ultrasound before the baby is born.

Treatment and Complications

Omphaloceles can be accompanied by several types of complications. Besides additional birth defects, infection is a concern, especially if the protective membrane around the baby's organs breaks. If one of the organs outside the abdominal wall defect is pinched or twisted, it may lose its blood supply and be seriously damaged. The baby may also experience breathing problems and other complications.

The treatment for an omphalocele is surgery - to put the baby's organs back into his or her abdomen and then fix the defect in the abdominal wall. Sometimes this is done immediately after birth, but in other cases, for example with large omphaloceles, the surgery is put off.

Contact a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your baby is born with a birth defect such as omphalocele, you should consider speaking with an attorney. It has been reported that women who take certain drugs during their pregnancies, such as certain antidepressants, may have a greater risk of giving birth to a baby with this type of birth defect.

Our birth defect lawyers are available to investigate these types of claims. To find out if you qualify to seek compensation for your baby’s injury, contact our birth defect lawyers today.