Frequently Asked Questions
and Quick Facts
FAQs
What causes an omphalocele?
There are no known causes for omphaloceles. Between 6 and 10 weeks the intestines and abdominal organs project into the umibilical cord, typically returning to the abdominal cavity by 11 weeks. When this doesn't happen, an omphalocele (also called an "O") occurs.
How often do omphaloceles occur?
Small Os occur every 1/5,000 births.
Large and giant Os occur 1/10,000 births.
How are omphaloceles diagnosed?
Omphaloceles are typically identified and diagnosed at the 20 week anatomy ultrasound. However, they can sometimes be identified sooner.
How are omphaloceles treated?
Ompahloceles require a surgery to put the organs back into the abdomen and put the abdominal wall back together. Babies with small Os may have closure repair surgery soon after birth. Babies with large Os either do a staged repair or the "paint and wait" method.
What is the Silo repair?
Silo repair or reduction (staged repair) is when the sac of the Omphalocele is removed and a surgical pouch is placed around the contents of the “O”and then raised up. Over time the contents of the “O” will descend back into the abdomen and then hole of the abdomen is closed.
What is “paint and wait”?
An antibiotic cream is 'painted' over the O sac and covered with gauze. This helps encourage skin to grow over the sac. Once the O is covered in skin, most doctors recommend gentle compression with a bandage. Once the body is big and strong enough, the pediatric surgery team will put the organs in the right spot and perform closure surgery.
Sources: Boston Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Nationwide Children’s
Quick Facts
Os fall under 3 categories: small, large, and giant. This is not determined by the actual size of the omphalocele, but rather by the organs that are inside of it.
"Small" Os contain only intestines, where large and giant Os contain liver and other abdominal organs.
Os occur more frequently in males than females.
About 30% of babies with Os have a genetic abnormality, the most common being Trisomy 13, 18, 21, Turner Syndrome, or Triploidy. Some babies have Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome.
About 50% of babies have abnormalities in other organs or body parts. The most common are spine, digestive system, limbs, heart, and urinary system.
Some babies have isolated Os - meaning an omphalocele with no other birth defects. When an O is isolated, the chance for it to happen again is 1%.
In the cases of large Os, birth by cesarean section is almost always recommended, because there is a higher risk of rupturing the omphalocele during a vaginal birth. For small Os, a vaginal birth may still be possible.
If the baby has an isolated omphalocele, the survival rate is 90%. If the baby has problems with other organs in addition to the omphalocele, the survival rate is 70%.
Sources: Boston Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Cincinnati Children's Hospital