Skip to main content
Log in

Gastric perforation in the neonate

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Pediatric Surgery International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ten neonates ranging in gestational age from 27 to 40 weeks and weighing 800–3,000 g presented, nine with peritonitis and pneumoperitoneum and one with gastroschisis. At surgery, perforation and rupture of the stomach was discovered. One had a tracheo-oesophageal fistula, one had gastroschisis, and in nine cases there had either been endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation or bag-and-mask ventilation and nasogastric intubation. Four patients died. While no cause for the perforation was identified, it is proposed that care in the respiratory resuscitation of neonates and premature infants is essential to prevent the problems of gastric perforation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bayatpour M, Bernard L, McCune F, Bariel WI (1979) Spontaneous gastric rupture in the newborn. Am J Surg 137: 267–269

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bell MJ (1985) Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract and peritonitis in the newborn. Surg Gynecol Obstet 160: 20–26

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Field D, Milner AD, Hopkin IE, (1986) Efficiency of manual resuscitators at birth. Arch Dis Child 61: 300–302

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Gullois B, Parent P, Gaudin J, Jehannin B, Alix D (1987) Neonatal gastric perforation in twins. Pediatr Surg Int 2: 255–256

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gupta M, Brands YW (1978) Gastric retention in neonates. Pediatrics 62: 26–29

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Hoskyns EW, Milner AD, Hopkin IE (1987) A simple method of face mask resuscitation at birth. Arch Dis Child 62: 376–378

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Hoskyns EW, Milner AD, Boon AW, Vyas H, Hopkin IE, (1987) Endotracheal resuscitation of preterm infants at birth. Arch Dis Child 62: 663–666

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Houck WS Jr, Griffin JA (1981) Spontaneous linear tears of the stomach in the newborn infant. Ann. Surg., 193: 763–768

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Jones TB, Kirchner SG, Lee FA, Heller RM (1980) Stomach rupture in association with esophageal atresia, tracheoesophageal fistula and ventilatory assistance. AJR Am J Roentgenol 134: 675–677

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Krause S, Donen N (1984) Gastric rupture during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Can Anaesth Soc J, 31: 319–322

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Linch D, McDonald A, McNicol L (1979) Tension pneumoperitoneum complicating cardiac resuscitation. Intensive Care Med, 5: 93–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Marrie V, Moosa A, Cywes S, (1978) Gastric perforation in the newborn. S Afr Med J 54: 202–204

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Milner AD, Vyas H, Hopkin IE (1984) Efficacy of face mask resuscitation at birth. Br Med J 289: 1563–1565

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Quak SH, Joseph VT, Wong HB (1984) Neonatal total gastrectomy. Clin Pediatr 23: 507–509

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Rimmer DG (1966) Gastric distension without mechanical obstruction. Arch Int Med 117: 287–299

    Google Scholar 

  16. Rosser SB, Clark CH, Elechi EN (1982) Spontaneous neonatal gastric perforation. J Pediatr Surg 17: 390–394

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Shaker IJ, Schaffer JA, James AE, White JJ (1973) Aerophagia: a mechanism for spontaneous rupture of the stomach. Am Surg 39: 619–623

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Tan CEL, Keily EM, Agrawal M, Brereton RJ, Spitz L (1989) Neonatal gastrointestinal perforation. J Pediatr Surg 24: 888–892

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Tessler S, Kupfer Y, Lerman A, Arsura EL (1990) Massive gastric distension in the intubated patient. Arch Int Med 150: 318–320

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Touloikian RJ (1973) Gastric ischaemia: the primary factor in neonatal perforation. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 12: 219–225

    Google Scholar 

  21. Touloikian RJ, Posch JN, Spencer R (1977) The pathogenesis of ischemic gastroenterocolitis of asphyxiated neonatal piglets. J Pediatr Surg 7: 194–196

    Google Scholar 

  22. Vyas H, Milner AD, Hopkin IE (1983) Face mask resuscitation: does it lead to gastric distention? Arch Dis Child 58: 373–375

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Woon KY, Tock EPC, Tan KL (1978) Spontaneous rupture of the stomach in the neonatal. J Singapore Pediatr Soc 20: 93–96

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Zamir O, Goldberg M, Udassin R, Peleg O, Nissan S, Eyal F (1988) Idiopathic gastrointestinal perforation in the neonate. J Pediatr Surg 23: 335–337

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bruce, J., Bianchi, A., Doig, C.M. et al. Gastric perforation in the neonate. Pediatr Surg Int 8, 17–19 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02352993

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02352993

Key words

Navigation