CONGENITAL ATRESIA OF THE SMALL INTESTINE IN THE NEWBORN

Abstract

THE ONLY types of congenital abnormalities of the alimentary tract considered in this discussion are the complete intrinsic obstructions of the small bowel. Two general groups of such lesions exist: (1) one or more septums or diaphragms completely occluding the lumen and (2) narrowing of the intestinal diameter at one or more sites to the point of total obstruction. In the latter type, the proximal blind end of bowel may be completely separated from its distal counterpart, or the two ends may be joined with a solid cordlike structure, devoid of a lumen. Therefore, mesenteric defects may or may not occur. The existence of these lesions has been recognized for more than two hundred years; the successful treatment of them has been known for less than forty years. There is now evident a gradual and encouraging increase in the number of patients whose defects have been successfully repaired. Yet reports