Outcome for fetuses with abdominal wall defects detected by routine second trimester ultrasound.

The outcome for 70 fetuses with abdominal wall defects detected by routine second trimester ultrasound during the years 1983-90 was investigated. In 65 of the 70 cases the prenatal diagnoses were correct. Thirty-two women had their pregnancies terminated by legal abortions. Thirty-eight pregnancies continued. Six of these ended with spontaneous abortion or intrauterine fetal death. Thirty-two infants were born alive. Nearly all cases with associated malformations and all cases with chromosomal defects were in the omphalocele group. The neonatal survival for infants with gastroschisis and infants with omphalocele without associated malformations or chromosomal defects was high (96%).