Doctors at Dien Bien General Hospital in the namesake northern Vietnamese province are treating a baby with an imperforate anus, a congenital defect in which the opening to the anus is missing or blocked.

The hospital admitted the child patient, seven-day-old L.M.Q., on February 10.

The child is the third baby of a Hmong ethnic couple, living in a remote area, with limited knowledge of healthcare, according to Dr. Mai Thi Tam, head of pediatrics at the hospital.

A week after home birth, the child did not defecate and was not breastfeeding effectively. 

The baby’s abdomen became distended, so the family took the child to a medical facility.

The child was admitted to the hospital in a low state of consciousness, with pale skin, purple veins all over the body, a rapid pulse, and a distended abdomen, Dr. Tam recalled. 

“Through examination, we found that the child did not have an anus before diagnosing him with septic shock and late intestinal obstruction due to no anal opening,” the doctor said.

“Because of late hospitalization, the child suffered physical weakness and severe shock.”

Doctors actively resuscitated the baby before performing an emergency surgery to make the colostomy. 

“Fortunately, after two hours of surgery, doctors successfully made an anal opening on the child,” Dr. Tam said.

Six days since the surgery, the baby has been effectively feeding at the breast and its intestines are back in circulation. 

The child is currently receiving follow-up care at the hospital.

According to Dr. Tam, anorectal malformations are common in newborns. 

Babies born in a hospital can have doctors examine and detect the malfunction early to intervene in time, and have a higher chance of successful treatment.

The doctor advised that after the first 24 hours of life, if the infant has not defecated, it is necessary to take the child to the nearest medical facility for examination and treatment.

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