Background: Jejunoileal atresia is the most common intestinal atresia and the most frequent cause of neonatal intestinal obstruction. The prognosis depends on several important factors. The patients reported were collected for evaluation of the factors contributing to their prognoses.

Methods: In the ten-year period from October 1982 to October 1992, all jejunoileal atresia patients who received treatment in this hospital were entered in this study. Possible factors contributing to prognosis, such as prematurity, low birth weight, apple peel atresia, anastomotic leakage, sepsis, short bowel syndrome were evaluated using Mann-Whitney U-test.

Results: Twenty-four patients of jejunoileal atresia had been managed in our hospital in 10 years period. Their ages ranged from one to thirteen days old (mean 3.9 days). The numbers and types of atresia were as follow: type I (n = 4), type II (n = 4), type IIIa (n = 10), type IIIb (n = 5), type IV (n = 1). All patients received surgical correction. Nine complications were found in eight patients, which included four anastomotic leakage, three wound infections and two intestinal obstructions. There were three mortalities from sepsis. Total parenteral nutrition was applied to 14 patients (58.3%). The mean hospital stay was 45.1 days, and the survival rate was 87.5%. Low birth weight and anastomotic leakage contributed to prolonged hospital stays (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Jejunoileal atresia is a common neonatal surgical condition. The prognosis is generally good, except when a patient presented with factors, such as, low birth weight or anastomotic leakage, which prolonged hospital stays. Moreover, sepsis is the only important factor contributing to mortality.