The management of bilious vomiting in the neonate

Bilious vomiting is synonymous with intestinal obstruction, be it functional or anatomical. In the neonate it may be due to congenital malformations of the gastrointestinal tract or develop due to acquired conditions, particularly intestinal complications associated with prematurity. This review considers the congenital malformations that may present with bilious vomiting and explores the diagnostic dilemmas faced in the preterm infant. The difficult issue of the need to exclude malrotation in term infants with bilious vomiting and the consequences of time-critical transfer is discussed.