A couple in Bauchi State had been thrown into confusion following the discovery by medical doctors that their two-month-old baby girl, Maryam, was born without anus. The girl showed no sign of deformity until the doctors' shocking discovery. The incident occurred around the old cemetery in Jahun area of Bauchi State. The baby's mother Malama Aishatu Yau narrated how it all happened, and how the parents are battling to see that their baby live a normal life like other human beings. Aishatu said no one realised Maryam's pathetic condition until 12 days after her birth. Maryam, according to her mother, did not pass out any excreta and was crying endlessly and for all those 12 days.
The parents sought medical attention at a clinic in Bauchi. After diagnosis, they were informed by the doctors that their baby had not been able to empty her bowl because her anus was sealed right from birth. From the clinic in Bauchi, Aishatu said, they were referred to the Federal Medical Centre (“FMC”) Gombe. At the FMC, the doctors told them that their daughter needed an emergency surgery to create a hole at the side of her stomach through which she can temporarily relieve herself. To get a permanent solution, however, the parents were told that opening her anus is required so that she can live a normal life.
From my findings I discovered that some children are born with no anal opening at all. This is called an imperforate anus.
What Is Imperforate Anus? Imperforate anus is a problem with the way a baby's anus or rectum formed. The rectum is the end of the large intestine, where stools (feces) are stored until they leave the body in bowel movements. The anus is the opening that stools pass through as they leave the body. Imperforate anus is when there is no opening at the end of the digestive tract where the anus normally is. Imperforate anus can take several forms. The digestive tract may end in a closed pouch somewhere inside the body. Or, the rectum may connect to other parts of the body through a channel called a fistula. For example, in boys the rectum may connect through a channel to the urethra, bladder or scrotum. In girls it may connect to the vagina or bladder. Sometimes the channel comes out in front of where the anus would normally be. In other cases, a baby has an anus, but it is too narrow to allow waste to come out.
Children with imperforate anus may have other problems that are associated with the condition. These may include problems with:
i. The bones that make up the spine (vertebrae)
- The lowest part of the spine, just above the tailbone (sacrum)
- The windpipe (trachea)
- The tube that connects the mouth to the stomach (esophagus)
- Heart
- Arms and legs
- Kidneys
Children with imperforate anus and related anal or rectal problems are born with the conditions. Imperforate anus occurs while the baby is forming inside the mother. Doctors do not know the cause. It affects about 1 in every 5,000 babies.
No comments:
Post a Comment