Objectives : In spite of many recommendations on the tracking of the oesophageal atresia, the test that is made at birth always leads to some debate in the maternity hospitals. The main purpose of such a study is to evaluate whether a tracking on criteria is preferable to a systematic tracking but also to evaluate if this test must be carried out with the use of the probe or the syringe.

Population and method: It deals with a retrospective study of 19 new-born babies carrying oesophageal atresia and who were hospitalized at the CHU of Angers, between January 1996 and August 2010.

Results: More than the three quarters of the oesophageal atresia cases could be suspected in prenatal thanks to echographic signs. Moreover, clinical signs were detectable at birth in 73,8% of the cases. Criteria that were linked to the pregnancy, such as pathologies during the pregnancy and antecedents of termination of pregnancy, were found more frequently than in the general population. All the new-born babies of our study showed echographic, clinical signs and/or criteria. There are no more complications that are revealed whether the diagnosis is made in prenatal or neonatal. At the baby's birth, the tests were carried out mainly while using the gastric probe but rarely using the syringe technique. However, neither one nor the other has been completely reliable.

Conclusion: Tracking should be done at birth if there is a prenatal sign (characteristic of the pregnancy and/or echographic signs) or a clinical sign (low weight and/or hypersalivation, regurgitation, respiratory embarrassment) with the syringe, as long as echography does not allow an unquestionable diagnosis of pathology.