As parents, told of the diagnosis of EA/TEF of our child, we wonder "What does this mean".  The resources on this page will explain what EA/TEF is, the different types of EA/TEF and common problems associated with EA/TEF.

 There are several different types of EA/TEF:

*Picture is cited from Wikipedia on Facebook.com

1.  Type A:  Also known as Pure EA (no TEF present). Has a blind upper and lower esophageal pouch. (1)

2.  Type B:  Has a fistula between the upper pouch and the trachea. (1)

3.  Type C:  This type is the most common form of EA/TEF and has a fistula between the lower pouch and the trachea.(1)

4. Type D:   This is a rare form of EA/TEF in which there is a fistula present between both the upper and lower pouch and the trachea.(1)

5.  Type E:   Also referred to as Type H or Type N.   No EA is present but there is a fistual between the esophagus and the trachea.(1)

Almost all infants born with EA/TEF, are diagnosed with some form of Tracheomalacia, which can range from mild to severe.  In most cases, the surgeon will wait for the infant to grow and monitor the treachea.  In some rare instances, the infants collapse may be to severe and life threatening and will require intervention.

There is also the possiblity, that your EA/TEF infant MIGHT have aspects of the VACTERL syndrome.   It is always good to consult with your hospital team to ensure the basic tests are done on the Vertebrae, Anus, Cardiac, Renal and Limbs.  Most often, if your infant should have other aspects of the VACTERL, aside from the EA/TEF, it is not visually seen by the infants appearance.