Suds Richardson
Staff Reporter
According to Children's Health, VATER syndrome, also known as VACTERL Association, is a term used for when a child is diagnosed with three or more birth defects. These include but are not limited to: vertebral anomalies (V), anal atresia (A), cardiac (C), tracheal anomalies in which the esophagus and the trachea (windpipe) do not connect correctly (T), esophageal anomalies (E), renal or kidney problems and radical (thumb side of the hand) problems (R), and other limb anomalies (L). A specific cause is now unknown but these are all developed inside the womb and are immediately present at birth. It is found in one in every 10,000 to 40,000 babies according to Healthline. According to my doctor who helped birth me, they would see a baby with it about once a month, though when I was born I was actually one of three born at the same time. This is all to say that though it is not especially common, it is not one in a million either.
The severity ranges as well. It can be any three or more birth defects, so while one may be able to leave the hospital shortly another may need to be rushed immediately into surgery. The lifelong effects vary as well, even if the said defect is completely under control one may still be incapable or have a harder time with basic tasks that others are quite capable of. Take esophageal atresia for example, which is found to occur in about 1 in 4,100 infants according to the CDC. Some people can be born with their esophagus unattached to their stomach. This is type A of esophageal atresia and is the second rarest of four. This will not only leave unmoving scar tissue at the bottom of one’s esophagus but also will leave them without a proper sphincter leading to unruly stomach acid and heartburn issues for the rest of their lives. This could also lead to different issues surrounding it such as difficulty or slowed eating, losing enjoyment in eating and if not managed eating may be painful as well. VATER syndrome is definitely not one-size-fits-all and this is just a very small section of what it may look like.
VATER syndrome is an umbrella term for any infant born with three or more birth defects. The term itself can feel complicated but it boils down to just that. Having more people know about it can make it easier for people to vocalize struggles completely out of their control and even if it is uncommon it is still important for those affected to feel heard. So with that thank you for reading and allowing some light to shed on this topic.
Image Credit: Violeta Stoimenova
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