What is EA/TEF?

First, esophageal atresia (EA): The esophagus is your foodpipe--it carries food from your mouth to your stomach. An atresia is an abnormal absence, or closure, of some passageway in the body. So, in an esophageal atresia, there is a gap in the esophagus, and food from the mouth has no way to get to the stomach.

Second, tracheo-esophageal fistula (TEF): The trachea is your windpipe--it is the passageway through which the air you breathe travels to your lungs. A fistula is an abnormal connection between two passageways in the body. In a tracheo-esophageal fistula, there is an abnormal connection between the trachea and the esophagus. Air can pass from the airway into the stomach, and liquids can pass from the esophagus into the lungs.

EA and TEF can occur in various combinations. Each combination is designated by a type. The types are described below, along with how often each type occurs when a child is born with EA/TEF.

Approximately 1 baby in every 3,000 to 4,500 is born with one of these life–threatening defects. Nobody knows exactly what causes EA/TEF, but it is generally recognized that nothing a parent ate, drank, or was otherwise exposed to, causes it. In short, it's not your fault!

The only solution to these problems is to surgically repair them. If a baby can not be repaired within the first few days of life, then a feeding tube (or gastrostomy or g-tube) is put into place so that food can be inserted directly into the stomach.

Below are diagrams of the five different types of EA/TEF. You can also view an interactive animation of EA/TEF.

TYPE	DESCRIPTION	DIAGRAM
Type A Esophageal Atresia (7.7%)	Both segments of the esophagus end in blind pouches. Neither segment of esophagus is attached to the trachea.
Type B Esophageal Atresia with Upper Tracheoesophageal Fistula (0.8%)	The upper segment of the esophagus forms a fistula to the trachea (TEF). The lower segment of the esophagus ends in a blind pouch (EA). This is a very rare form of EA/TEF.
Type C Esophageal Atresia with Lower Tracheoesophageal Fistula (86.5%)	The upper segment of the esophagus ends in a blind pouch (EA). The lower segment of the esophagus is attached to the trachea (TEF). This is the most common type of EA/TEF.
Type D Esophageal Atresia with Upper and Lower Tracheoesophageal Fistula (0.7%)	Both segments of the esophagus are attached to the trachea. This is the rarest form of EA/TEF.
Type E Tracheoesophageal Fistula (4.2%)	There is no esophageal atresia as the esophagus is continuous to the stomach. However, fistula is present between the esophagus and the trachea.