Prune Belly Syndrome in Children
🚩What is prune belly syndrome in children? 🏴Prune belly syndrome is a rare type of birth defect. The defect can range from mild to severe. It is also known as triad syndrome or Eagle-Barrett syndrome. It includes 3 main problems: 🏁Missing muscles or severely weak muscles in the belly (abdomen) 🏁One or both testicles not in the scrotal sac (undescended testicles) 🏁Abnormal, large bladder and problems with the kidneys and the tubes that lead from the kidneys to the bladder (ureters) A child with prune belly syndrome often can't fully empty their bladder. This can cause serious bladder, ureter, and kidney problems. A child with prune belly syndrome may also have other birth defects. Most often, these defects affect the skeletal system, intestines, lungs, and heart. Girls may have defects in their external genitals. Some babies who have prune belly syndrome may die in the uterus at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later (stillborn). Some babies with this condition die a few months after birth. 🚩What causes prune belly syndrome in a child? Experts don't know what causes prune belly syndrome. Some cases have occurred in siblings. This means a gene may be a cause. It may occur if there is a blockage of the urethra during a baby’s growth in the uterus. The urethra is the tube that drains urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. A blockage prevents urine from flowing through the urinary tract. Urine can reverse flow and cause the bladder to become large. 🚩Which children are at risk for prune belly syndrome? Prune belly syndrome is not common. It occurs in about 1 in 30,000 to 40,000 births. Most cases occur in boys. 🚩What are the symptoms of prune belly syndrome in a child? Symptoms can be a bit different for each child. They may be mild to severe. They can include: 🏁Belly (abdomen) that looks wrinkly with multiple folds of skin 🏁Bladder causing a bulge in the belly above the pubic bones 🏁Urinary tract organs easy to feel through the belly 🏁Outline of the intestines seen through the belly 🏁No testes in the scrotum (baby boys) 🏁Trouble sitting upright or walking, because of weak muscles in the belly 🏁Frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) if the urinary tract is blocked. ➡️Information Collected from @www.stanfordchildrens.org