In simple words: A hole in the newborn baby's intestines, often occurring before or shortly after birth. This can cause serious complications due to the baby's first stool leaking into the abdomen.

Perinatal intestinal perforation, also known as meconium peritonitis.This condition occurs when a hole develops in the newborn's intestines, often before birth or shortly after. Meconium, the baby's first stool, can leak into the abdominal cavity, causing inflammation (peritonitis).

Example 1: A newborn presents with abdominal distension and signs of infection shortly after birth. Imaging reveals a perforation in the small intestine and meconium peritonitis., Prenatal ultrasound detects a dilated bowel in a fetus, raising suspicion for intestinal obstruction. After birth, the newborn is diagnosed with an intestinal perforation., A newborn undergoes surgery for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a condition where a portion of the bowel dies.A perforation develops at the surgical site post-operatively.

Medical record documentation should include details about the timing and circumstances of the perforation, imaging findings, surgical reports (if surgery is performed), and any associated complications.