The Transected Urachus: An Unusual Cause of Neonatal Ascites

Abstract

Neonatal ascites may arise from a number of different causes.1,2 The purpose of this report is to describe an unusual iatrogenic cause of neonatal urinary ascites. The patient was a 3-day-old white male infant born by precipitous vaginal delivery. His Apgar scores were 7 and 9 at one and five minutes, respectively, and birth weight was 3,147 g. Initially, the infant was noted to have hypoglycemia, which resolved with oral feeding, as well as transient tachypnea and temperature instability, which resolved spontaneously. The physical examination was otherwise normal. On the second day of life, the patient became jaundiced and had recurrent temperature instability, hypoglycemia, and seizure activity.