Esophageal Atresia and Tracheoesophageal Fistula

In babies who have esophageal atresia (say "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 (say "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 (say "new-mone-yah").

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.

About 1 baby out of 4,000 babies has one or both of these problems. They usually occur together. But sometimes a baby has atresia with no fistula or fistula with no atresia.

Most babies who have this condition have feeding problems right away. They may spit up a lot or have lots of bubbly mucus in their mouth. If your baby has a fistula, breathing may be hard. If your doctor thinks your baby has one of these conditions, an X-ray can help make the diagnosis.

Your baby will need surgery to fix the problem. First, the swallowing tube must be connected to the stomach. Then, if a fistula is connecting the esophagus to the trachea, it must be closed. Your child's doctor will decide when to do the surgery. If the baby isn't premature and doesn't have any other problems (such as pneumonia or other birth defects), the surgery can usually be done when the baby is just a few days old.

In uncomplicated cases, your baby may be eating as soon as one week after surgery. Meanwhile, until your baby can swallow milk or formula, your baby will be fed through a vein (this is called an "IV") or through a stomach tube. Before regular feeding starts, an X-ray can check for any holes at the place the surgeon fixed.

However, if your baby was premature, the recovery time might be a little longer. Another factor is how complicated the operation is. If the surgery is harder, it takes a few days longer for your baby to recover. Your baby will stay in the hospital during this time.

Some babies who have esophageal atresia have heart problems, kidney problems, stomach and bowel problems or muscle and bone problems. A physical exam by your doctor, maybe with some other X-ray or ultrasound pictures, will usually show if your baby has other problems. If your baby has other problems, the surgery to fix the swallowing tube might have to wait until these problems can be fixed.

Babies born with esophageal atresia sometimes have long-term problems, the most common of which is gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. GERD is similar to heartburn, and can usually be treated with medicine.

Another problem is scar tissue. Sometimes scar tissue grows where the esophagus connects to the stomach. This scar tissue can make swallowing hard or painful because the food can't get past the scar tissue easily. Sometimes another surgery is needed to open the scar tissue.

Your child may need more X-rays or endoscopy later to check on the area where the surgery was performed. Endoscopy is a way of taking a picture. A narrow tube holding a tiny camera is put into the esophagus. The picture helps your doctor see inside the esophagus and stomach.