Baby boy born without anus now on the brink of death

Update: Guo Enze is currently receiving medical treatment funded by Good Samaritans in China.

A baby boy born without an anus is on the brink of death as his family is too poor to treat his birth defect.

Sina News reported that three-month-old Guo Enze from China has an ‎imperforate‬ anus, a condition in which the rectum is malformed and prevents him from excreting waste normally.

Depending on the severity of the condition, affected babies either undergo anoplasty to create an anus in the normal place, or colostomy to create an opening in the child's belly to pass faeces out of the body, according to an article by Seattle Children's Hospital.

Enze's condition requires immediate surgery after birth, but his migrant worker parents are unable to afford the operation. Hence, the boy is left untreated and his life is in danger.

The emaciated baby now weighs about 2kg because his family is limiting the amount of milk he drinks in order to reduce the amount of waste accumulated in his body.

In a CCTV News report, the baby's grandfather said: "Now the child can only urinate and excrete through his urethra, which gives him a great deal of pain. So we cannot give him more food."

Enze's grandfather added: "But as long as the child is surviving there's still hope for the entire family."

After Chinese media reported on the baby's plight, his family has received a donation of 10,000 yuan (S$2,200) while other fund-raising efforts are on-going.

minlee@sph.com.sg