What is intestinal malrotation?
Intestinal malrotation is a birth defect involving a malformation of the intestinal tract. Intestinal malrotation is an abnormality that occurs while a fetus is forming in its mother’s uterus. Click Image to Enlarge As a fetus is growing in its mother’s uterus before birth, different organ systems are developing and maturing. • The digestive tract starts off as a straight tube from the stomach to the rectum. • Initially, it is located in the fetus’ abdomen, but, for a while, part of the intestine moves into the umbilical cord. • At about the 10th week of pregnancy, the intestine leaves the umbilical cord and goes back into the abdomen. • After returning to the abdomen, the intestine makes two turns, and is no longer a straight tube. Malrotation occurs when the intestine does not make these turns as it should. In addition, intestinal malrotation causes the cecum (the end of the small intestine) to develop abnormally. The cecum is normally located in the lower right side of the abdomen.
