Anal atresia

         The anus is either not present or it is in the wrong place. There are basically two kinds of anal atresia. In boys with high anal atresia, there may be a channel (fistula) con­necting the large intestine to either the urethra (which delivers urine from the bladder) or the bladder itself. In girls, the chan­nel may connect with the vagina. Sixty percent of children with high anal atresia have other defects, including problems with the esophagus, urinary tract, and bones. In low anal atresia, the channel may open in front of the circular mass of muscles that constrict to close the anal opening (anal sphincter) or, in boys, below the scrotum. Occasionally, the intestine ends just under the skin. It is estimated that overall abnormalities of the anus and rectum occur in about one in every 5,000 births and are slightly more common among boys. A mother who has one child with these kind of conditions has a 1% chance of having another child who suffers from this ailment.