Prenatal bowel dilatation and the subsequent postnatal management

The presence of dilated bowel loops antenatally suggests fetal bowel obstruction. Neonatal intestinal obstruction can have different variations in presentation depending on the level and extent of obstruction. Some of these conditions can be diagnosed antenatally. Antenatal detection of surgically correctable anomalies would ideally reduce perinatal morbidity and mortality by allowing a planned delivery with early resuscitation and prompt surgical intervention. Duodenal atresia is the most common intestinal atresia diagnosed in a fetus. Presently there are no significant abnormalities of the fetal gastrointestinal tract that benefit from fetal intervention. However a thorough understanding of the disease processes is necessary for diagnosis and treatment of intestinal obstruction. With advances in neonatal intensive care and management there has been a significant decrease in mortality rates of neonates with intestinal obstruction.