Omphalocele can be diagnosed prenatally in embryos, after the intestines should have moved back inside the abdominal cavity in week 11. [8] An elevated amount of alpha-fetoprotein, which is a type of plasma protein produced by the fetal liver, can be detected in the maternal blood and may indicate the presense of an omphalocele. [11] This however, has a low reliability as the protein is not always in excess of normal amounts. [11] Alternatively, an ultrasound can identify the herniated organs in the umbilicus after they would have normally returned to the abdomen. [8] This is more reliable but not always foolproof as in some cases the condition is not seen. [11] In this situation, it is immediately obvious at birth. [4]
The benefit of detecting an omphalocele before birth is that preparations can be made for treating it, including family counselling and postnatal care. [11] Also valuable to early diagnosis is screening for other associated abnormalities as omphaloceles have a high rate of accompanying anomalies. [8] Appropriate diagnostic evaluations of other sections, in particular echocardiography, which detects problems with the heart, and further ultrasound testing for other structural defects, can give warning and allow treatment of these malformations. [11] Furthermore, often a caesarean section is suggested as a precaution to prevent rupture of the membranous sac whilst travelling through the vaginal canal. [8]