New lease on life

A BABY born with a painful internal health problem has been successfully treated at a leading Bahrain facility.

Baby Hala Majeed Alsadiq started showing symptoms resembling constipation shortly after birth but the restricted bowel movement proved to be much more serious.

Under the expert care of Royal Hospital for Women and Children (RHWC) paediatric gastroenterologist Dr Suhail Shabib, she was diagnosed as suffering from anal stenosis, a condition where the child is born with a narrow anal passage.

A three-hour long surgical procedure was performed at the RHWC bringing an end to the family’s nightmare having previously being wrongly advised by friends to treat her condition as constipation.

“When I examined her, she had recto-perineal fistula which is one of the anorectal malformations in children where the rectum and anal area are not well developed,” explained Dr Shabib.

“We started her on dilatation and washout for one month then she had an examination under anaesthesia to locate the sphincter - a circular muscle that normally maintains constriction of a natural body passage.

“The fistula opening was outside the sphincter and that indicates the need for surgical correction.”

During the operation, medics reconstructed the baby’s rectum and anal area successfully. “She had a smooth recovery and she started passing stools normally just a few hours after surgery,” added Dr Shabib.

“She completed her hospital course and was discharged home and she now has normal bowel movements, four to five times daily, with no difficulty.”

RHWC Paediatric Surgery Consultant Dr Hussein Ahmed Hamdy said that constipation in children was a common problem that can often be managed with dietary modification and medications but it could also be a ‘complicated problem needing surgical intervention’.

“A detailed history and a physical examination are the key to diagnosing the underlying cause of constipation and directs the management of the condition,” he explained. “We always encourage parents to seek medical advice if their child is constipated.

“It could be also due to a surgical problem which can be corrected giving the child a normal lifestyle.

“Always make sure to give a detailed history and have your child examined by an experienced doctor.”

The RHWC boasts one of the most advanced neonatal intensive care units in the kingdom and has been offering a comprehensive range of clinical services exclusively for women and children since its inauguration in 2019.

The 10,000sqm facility features 65 inpatient beds, three operating theatres, three high-dependency rooms, four labour and delivery rooms and four day-care or minor procedure rooms.

The hospital also offers an extensive range of services including antenatal and a well woman clinic, gynecology, family medicine, endoscopy, gastroenterology for children and adults, bone densitometry, cosmetology, minimal invasive and bariatric surgery, fertility clinic (IVF) and a round-the-clock emergency unit.