_*🔹WHAT IS GASTROCHIASIS*_ ▪️It is an abdominal wall defect like omphalocele in which the anterior abdomen does not close properly allowing the intestines to protrude outside the fetus. ▪️The majority of fetuses with this problem are born to mothers in their late teens or early twenties. ▪️ For some idiopathic reasons,while the fetus is developing, the muscles of the abdominal wall do not form correctly. ▪️ This allows some of the organs (stomach, intestine) to protrude outside the fetus's body. The organs outside of the fetus's body are floating in the amniotic fluid. ▪️The amount of abdominal contents protruding outside of the fetus varies in each pregnancy. ▪️Some are very small (just a few loops of bowel), while others can be quite large and involve most of the intestine and stomach.