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Woman gives shocking birth to baby born with bladder outside of body

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After intense surgery, the baby is expected to make full recovery.

Born with a rare congenital defect, Baby Lila underwent a unique surgery, shortly after she was born with her bladder outside the body. This defect was detected when the doctor couldn't find her bladder in a sonogram conducted during the 22-week prenatal appointment. Coincidentally, a nearby hospital recently recruited one of the foremost experts on bladder exstrophy (BE) repair in the country.

Highlights

By Hannah Raissa Marfil (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
5/14/2015 (1 decade ago)

Published in Health

Keywords: Bladder, Defect, Baby, Surgery, Health, Recovery, Bladder Exstrophy

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - Dr. Patricio Gargollo was just recently recruited by the Texas Children's Hospital, located in Houston, when Jordan and Jeff Wonsmos were informed about the condition of their baby inside the womb.

They met with Dr. Gargollo during the next 2 days, who advised them on what to do next.

The rare bladder exstrophy (BE) is a defect where the bladder wall was not properly formed, exposing the organ out, according to Fox News. It is also reported that it only occurs in approximately 1 out of 40,000 babies.

"The vast majority of these babies are totally normal babies who just happen to have an abnormality of the urinary tract that has to be dealt with. It's very fixable," Dr. Gargollo told Fox News. Missing the condition before the baby's birth won't automatically endanger the life, if it is given proper attention as soon as its discovered.

Wonsmos' baby, Lila, was born June 20, 2014. The expert recommended saran wrap, keeping the exposed, sensitive area clean and scrape free.

Four days later, she was brought to the hospital to undergo a three-part surgery. After the operation, her parents were encouraged to take part on her care.

"The nurses in the NICU encourage parents to take a hands-on role in the baby's care. As a mother, that's huge because you do feel helpless when your baby is in the incubator," said Jordan.

Although she has to be monitored for a long time and be potty trained efficiently, they are all generally positive on her health with her kidneys functioning well.

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