Intestinal Malrotation

You have a small intestine and a large intestine. The small intestine is a long coiled tube that connects your stomach to your large intestine. The large intestine is shorter but wider and leads from the end of the small intestine to the rectum.

Intestinal malrotation is a birth defect in which the intestines don't develop normally before birth.

• Before birth, your baby's intestines develop in one position and then turn (rotate) into their normal location

• Sometimes a baby's intestines don't rotate into the normal location, called malrotation

• Malrotation causes intestinal blockage and is life-threatening

• Babies need surgery to fix the problem

Babies with intestinal malrotation often have other birth defects.

Intestinal malrotation may cause your baby’s intestines to be blocked. Symptoms of blockage may start during the first month of life or not for several years. Symptoms also may come and go and usually include:

• Throwing up

• Swollen, painful belly

Doctors suspect your baby has intestinal malrotation if the baby throws up greenish bile. To know for sure, they’ll do barium x-rays to help see the position of the baby’s digestive tract.

Intestinal malrotation is a potential emergency, so doctors will treat the baby right away with: 

• Fluids given by IV (through a vein)

• Surgery to repair the intestines