One of the most interesting roles paediatric surgeons have is participating in antenatal counselling. In mid- to high-income environments, pregnant ladies have dedicated ultrasound to look for congenital anomalies during development.
When found e.g. giant omphalocoele in the pictures above, the surgeon works with obstetricians and foetal medicine specialists to help parents understand the risks, and prepare them for what’s to come. Despite this anomaly, we want to make sure the baby has the best possible welcome into the world.
Few countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have pre-natal screening programmes for congenital anomaly surveillance. Whilst infrastructure gaps cannot be filled solely by surgical network, we can start to address knowledge gaps and create expectations.
