Atlas of Fetal Pathologies

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Home » Entries » Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF)

Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF)

Esophageal atresia (EA)
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How to cite this entry

Zamalin D, Odackal NJ, Hoffman S. Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF). In: Atlas of Fetal Pathology [Internet]. 2026 Oct 7 [cited 2026 Oct 15]. Available from: https://fetalatlas.org/entry/tracheoesophageal-fistula/

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Key notes

  • Is an abnormal connection that forms during pregnancy
  • Is sporadic, or completely random, and cannot be prevented
  • Your baby will be transferred to the NICU immediately after delivery
  • Your baby will be admitted until they reach a stable feeding plan
  • Survival rates for isolated TEF repair exceed 90%

What this means for your baby

  • All babies with EA/TEF need surgery after birth so they can eat and breathe safely
  • Your baby will go to the NICU right after delivery to prepare for surgery
  • Surgical repair has a survival rate above 95% for babies born after 32 weeks without other anomalies

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References

  1. Little DC, Rescorla FJ, Grosfeld JL, West KW, Scherer LR, Engum SA. Long-term analysis of children with esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. J Pediatr Surg. 2003 Jun;38(6):852-6. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3468(03)00110-6Link
  2. DeBoer EM, Prager JD, Ruiz AG, Jensen EL, Deterding RR, Friedlander JA, et al. Multidisciplinary care of children with repaired esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016 Jun;51(6):576-81. doi: 10.1002/ppul.23330Link
  3. McGowan NA, Grosel J. An overview of esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. JAAPA. 2022 Jun;35(6):34-7. doi: 10.1097/01.JAA.0000830180.79745.b9Link
  4. Connor MJ, Springford LR, Kapetanakis VV, Giuliani S. Esophageal atresia and transitional care--step 1: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to define the prevalence of chronic long-term problems. Am J Surg. 2015 Apr;209(4):747-59. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2014.09.019Link

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