For Patients/Families

Esophageal atresia
Developmental obstruction in the esophagus. Sometimes the esophagus does not run all the way from the back of the throat to the stomach. Instead, the esophagus terminates in a blind pouch part way to the stomach. Children who have esophageal atresia often have an abnormal fistula or connection (known as a tracheo-esophageal fistula) between one of the sections of the esophagus and the trachea (windpipe). This abnormality occurs in about 1 out of every 2,500 live births.