Those of you who follow us on social media know that this fall, we took in two babies, one right after the other, who were born with a rare birth defect called Gastroschisis.

These babies were found with their intestines on the outside of their bodies, which happens when the muscles which make up a baby’s abdominal wall don’t form properly. Scientists believe this happens approximately during the fourth week of pregnancy, and while no one knows for sure the exact cause, a high percentage (at least in the U.S.) are born to teenage moms. I still remember the very first baby we took in with this condition, as I stared at my computer for quite a long while thinking, “That just isn’t possible.” Now of course I know that while rare (approximately 1 in every 5,000 births), babies with this condition can do very well with immediate treatment. Read more.