Omphalocele Essay

An omphalocele is a birth defect in which abdominal organs, primarily the intestines, herniate out of the body through a hole in the navel. Omphaloceles vary in size from containing only a portion of the small intestine to a majority of the abdominal organs, including most of the liver. This latter scenario, which includes about a third of omphalocele cases, is referred to as a giant omphalocele and can involve complications due to a small abdominal cavity and underdeveloped lungs. Herniated organs are contained in an “omphalocelic sac” which develops outside of the abdominal wall and is covered by a thin membrane consisting of the covering layers of the umbilical cord (consisting of amnion, Wharton’s jelly, and peritoneum) (Christison-
Lagay, Kelleher, & Langer, …show more content…
Omphalocele can also be a symptom of this hereditary syndrome (Chen, 2007). Miller-Dieker lissencephaly syndrome, or MDLS, results from a deletion on chromosome
17p13.3 and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Characteristic features include microcephaly and a small brain lacking gyri or convolutions. Omphalocele has been reported as prenatal identifier of this condition (Chen, 2007). Omphalocele has also been described as part of certain malformation sequences, including ectopia cordis, body stalk anomaly, and OEIS (Omphalocele, Exstrophy of bladder,
Imperforate anus, Spinal defect), as well as non-syndromic multiple congenital anomalies (Stoll,
Alembik, Dott, & Roth, 2008). Outside of genetic causes, additional factors correlated with an increased risk for omphalocele include smoking and using alcohol (Mac Bird, Robbins,
Druschel, Cleves, Yang, & Hobbs, 2009), using certain medications such as selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy (Alwan, Reefhuis, Rasmussen, Olney, &
Friedman, 2007), and being overweight or obese prior to pregnancy (Waller, Shaw, Rasmussen,
Hobbs, Canfield, Siega-Riz,…& Correa,