Matilda Bräutigam: Quality of life and mental health in children with gastroschisis
Gastroschisis is a congenital condition in which the intestines are located outside the abdomen at birth and need to be surgically placed back inside. Matilda Bräutigam’s research shows that many affected children do not fare as well as previously thought, highlighting the need for better long-term follow-up.
MATILDA BRÄUTIGAM
Dissertation defense: 6 February 2026 (click for details)
Doctoral thesis: An improved understanding of outcomes among children born with gastroschisis: Development of the Swedish version of the PedsQL Gastrointestinal Symptoms Module, assessment of health-related quality of life and mental health in gastroschisis
Research area: Pediatrics
Sahlgrenska Academy, The Institute of Clinical Sciences
Around two in 10,000 children are born with gastroschisis. In these cases, the intestines lie outside the abdominal cavity and must be surgically placed back into the abdomen, either in a single operation or in several stages.
“Historically, these children were believed to do well and not experience long-term problems after surgery. More recent research suggests that they face challenges related to both quality of life and mental health,” says Matilda Bräutigam, pediatric surgeon at Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital and doctoral student at the Institute of Clinical Sciences, and adds:
“Most earlier studies are small and usually rely on parents’ assessments rather than the children’s own reports. That was a key motivation for my research.”
A new questionnaire in Swedish
One of the first steps in the doctoral project was to address a gap in Swedish healthcare. The international PedsQLTM Gastrointestinal Symptom Module, a questionnaire designed to assess gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life in children with gastrointestinal conditions, was translated and validated for use in Sweden.
“Now that the questionnaire is available in Swedish, we can assess quality of life in children with gastrointestinal conditions both in clinical practice and in research.”
In the study, children with gastroschisis and their parents answered questionnaires separately about quality of life and mental health. The researchers also examined the children’s early life, such as whether they required ventilator support, to determine whether a more demanding neonatal course influenced later quality of life and mental health.
Reduced quality of life and mental health
The results show that some children born with gastroschisis have a lower quality of life compared with other children. The impact was greatest among those who had a more complicated start as newborns.
“We also found that some of the children’s mental health was negatively affected. This knowledge allows us to improve follow-up and provide more tailored support.”
What has been the most rewarding and the most challenging part of your doctoral project?
“It has been rewarding to help improve healthcare’s ability to support children with gastrointestinal conditions. It has also been fascinating to explore how children with gastroschisis actually feel and to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences,” says Matilda Bräutigam, and continues:
“The most challenging part has been realizing that everything in research takes much longer than you expect, that you always forget something, and the difficulty to find time for research.”
Text: Jakob Lundberg