Intestinal atresia

　　Intestinal atresia is a congenital rectal developmental anomaly. During the solid phase of embryonic development, incomplete intestinal cavitation can lead to intestinal atresia or stenosis. Hemodynamic disorders in a part of the intestinal tube during fetal development, such as intestinal torsion, intussusception, meconium peritonitis, adhesive intestinal obstruction, intestinal perforation, internal hernia, developmental anomalies of mesenteric blood vessels causing hemodynamic disorders in a part of the intestinal tube, lead to necrosis, absorption, and repair of the intestinal tube, and eventually form intestinal atresia.

　　Intestinal atresia may be accompanied by signs of intestinal obstruction. Postoperative complications of this disease may include intestinal dysfunction, chronic constipation, overflow incontinence, and the most impactful on the quality of life is incontinence.

　　In rectal atresia, the anal development is normal, but there is no defecation after birth, accompanied by signs of intestinal obstruction, such as abdominal pain, cessation of defecation and flatus. The disease usually appears within a few hours to 1-2 days after birth, with frequent vomiting, large in amount, and most cases contain bile in the vomit, while a few cases have old, blood-stained vomit. The infant does not have normal meconium excretion or only a small amount of gray-green jelly-like stool. High-positioned intestinal atresia or stenosis usually does not cause abdominal distension, only mild fullness in the upper abdomen. Low-positioned intestinal atresia or stenosis is characterized by marked abdominal distension, and even visible intestinal patterns.

　　This disease is mostly congenital malformation, and there are no effective preventive measures. Congenital diseases are diseases that exist from birth. Exposure to environmental harmful factors during pregnancy, such as pesticides, organic solvents, heavy metals, and other chemicals, or excessive exposure to various radiations, taking certain drugs, contracting certain pathogens, or even some habits and hobbies such as saunas (steam baths) and dietary preferences, may cause congenital abnormalities in the fetus.

　　Rectal atresia is usually clinically examined with X-ray. Inverted position X-ray examination found that if there is a membranous diaphragm in the rectum, it is rectal atresia; if there is a large segmental absence of the rectum, it is an absence of rectum malformation; sometimes it may be accompanied by an absence of anal malformation.

　　Patients with rectal atresia should eat bitter, cool, spicy, and moistening foods, such as portulaca oleracea, bitter melon, gentian, celery, cabbage, cucumber, luffa, and bamboo shoots. Patients should also avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, coffee, and cocoa, and avoid spicy, dry, and hot foods, as well as moldy, fried, and fatty foods.

　　The treatment of rectal atresia with traditional Chinese medicine should follow the principles of tonifying the middle-jiao and benefiting the qi, lifting the yang and consolidating the loose, and moistening the intestines to promote defecation. When the spleen and stomach transform and distribute the essence of grains and cereals, they must rise upwards to be dispersed throughout the body by the lung; at the same time, many tissues in the human body also rely on the lifting function of the spleen and stomach. When the function of the spleen and stomach is not vigorous, there will be the situations of qi deficiency in the spleen and stomach and qi sinking downwards. The Decoction for Replenishing the Middle-jiao and Benefiting the Qi consists of 2 grams of dried tangerine peel, 4 grams of ginseng, 4 grams of prepared licorice root, 2 grams of angelica sinensis, 1 gram of bupleurum, 6 grams of astragalus, an unknown amount of baizhu, 1 gram of cimicifuga, 2 grams of jujube, and 3 slices of ginger. It has the functions of replenishing qi, benefiting the spleen and stomach, and lifting the yang. It also has a certain therapeutic effect on rectal atresia.