A pneumatic reduction device for gastroschisis and omphalocele.

A new preformed pneumatic reduction device is available in two sizes, and it is recommended that a set be available for emergency use in any hospital which deals with the definitive emergency therapy of the newborn. The devices can be washed and flash sterilized as needed and, if properly cared for, can be reused repeatedly. The bag has facilitated the early care of newborns with omphalocele and gastroschisis and has allowed the rapid and effective reduction of eviscerated intestines. These bags can also be used for the controlled ventral hernias necessary in the treatment of infants born with large diaphragmatic hernias. It is hoped that the search for better techniques and materials will be continued, since the dramatic improvement in the survival rate of infants with gastroschisis and omphalocele has occurred not from a better understanding of the defects but by the application of improved techniques and materials in their treatment.