Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
esophageal atresia
References
Quizzes
Encyclopaedia Britannica thistle graphic to be used with a Mendel/Consumer quiz in place of a photograph.
44 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular Health and Medicine Quizzes
Britannica AI Icon

esophageal atresia

congenital disorder
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Esophageal atresia is a congenital disorder where the esophagus, the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach, does not develop properly. This condition means that part of the esophagus is missing or may connect abnormally to the trachea (windpipe).

This defect is most commonly seen in infants and requires early surgical correction to ensure the infant can survive and properly digest food. Other congenital defects of the esophagus can include shortening of the organ or abnormalities of the diaphragm, which can also necessitate surgical intervention.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. atresia and stenosis
  2. digestive system disease - Congenital defects

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.