EA/TEF
About Esophageal Atresia/Tracheoesophageal Fistula
EA/TEF is a rare congenital birth defect which affects approximately 1 in 4,000 babies. Nobody knows what causes this abnormality.
In babies who have esophageal atresia ("ee-sof-ah-gee-all at-tree-see-ah"), the esophagus doesn't connect to the stomach. It just ends in a pouch, so nothing the baby swallows gets into the stomach.
A fistula is a connection between 2 tubes. The breathing tube that connects the nose and mouth with the lungs is called the trachea. The swallowing tube is the esophagus. The breathing tube and the swallowing tube aren't supposed to be connected. But when a child has a tracheoesophageal fistula ("tray-key-oh-ee-sof-ah-gee-all fist-you-lah"), the fistula connects the 2 tubes. This means that food or milk in the stomach can get into the lungs. This can cause breathing problems and even pneumonia.
Doctors are not yet sure exactly what causes these problems. When the esophagus and the trachea grow in the embryo, they start from the same bit of tissue. Sometimes the tubes don't develop correctly. It's not thought that these problems are inherited.
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/special/birth/345.htm
To learn more about EA/TEF, visit www. EATEF.org
EA/TEF is a rare congenital birth defect which affects approximately 1 in 4,000 babies. Nobody knows what causes this abnormality.
In babies who have esophageal atresia ("ee-sof-ah-gee-all at-tree-see-ah"), the esophagus doesn't connect to the stomach. It just ends in a pouch, so nothing the baby swallows gets into the stomach.
A fistula is a connection between 2 tubes. The breathing tube that connects the nose and mouth with the lungs is called the trachea. The swallowing tube is the esophagus. The breathing tube and the swallowing tube aren't supposed to be connected. But when a child has a tracheoesophageal fistula ("tray-key-oh-ee-sof-ah-gee-all fist-you-lah"), the fistula connects the 2 tubes. This means that food or milk in the stomach can get into the lungs. This can cause breathing problems and even pneumonia.
Doctors are not yet sure exactly what causes these problems. When the esophagus and the trachea grow in the embryo, they start from the same bit of tissue. Sometimes the tubes don't develop correctly. It's not thought that these problems are inherited.
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/special/birth/345.htm
To learn more about EA/TEF, visit www. EATEF.org
VACTERL Association
The acronym VACTERL refers to a group of birth defects that occur together. These birth defects affect many parts of the body. VACTERL association may cause many symptoms, so it is unknown how many children are affected by it. VACTERL association may occur with some chromosome defects such as Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), or in children of mothers with diabetes, but its exact cause is not known. Symptoms Each letter in VACTERL represents the first letter of its common symptoms. Not all children affected by VACTERL association have all of these abnormalities.
"VACTERL Association." Index of Rare Diseases. 09 Apr 2007. National Organization for Rare Disorders. 04 Jun 2007.<http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdbdetail_abstract.html?disname=VACTERL%20Association>.
"VACTERL or VATER Association." Heart-Related Syndromes. Sep 2006. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. 04 Jun 2007. <http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/heart-encyclopedia/disease/syndrome/vacterl.htm>.
"What is VATER/VACTERL?." TEF/VATER International. 2000. TEF/VATER International. 04 Jun 2007. <http://www.tefvater.org/html/vater.html>.
- V stands for vertebrae (bones of the spine), which are abnormal
- A stands for anal atresia, or imperforate anus, meaning an anus that does not open to the outside of the body
- C stands for cardiac (heart) defects, usually an abnormal hole between parts of the heart (ventricular septal defect or atrial septal defect)
- T stands for tracheoesophageal fistula, meaning an abnormal connection between the trachea (windpipe) and the esophagus (the food tube to the stomach)
- E stands for esophageal atresia, meaning the esophagus does not connect to the stomach
- R stands for renal (kidney) defects
- L stands for limb (arm) defects such as absent or displaced thumbs, extra fingers (polydactyly), fused fingers (syndactyly), or a missing bone in the arms or legs
"VACTERL Association." Index of Rare Diseases. 09 Apr 2007. National Organization for Rare Disorders. 04 Jun 2007.<http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdbdetail_abstract.html?disname=VACTERL%20Association>.
"VACTERL or VATER Association." Heart-Related Syndromes. Sep 2006. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. 04 Jun 2007. <http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/heart-encyclopedia/disease/syndrome/vacterl.htm>.
"What is VATER/VACTERL?." TEF/VATER International. 2000. TEF/VATER International. 04 Jun 2007. <http://www.tefvater.org/html/vater.html>.