Four neonates, one girl and three boys, displayed symptoms such as coughing during feeding and bubbleblowing; in two of their mothers there had been positive discongruence during pregnancy. The children had an oesophageal atresia and/or tracheo-oesophageal fistula, which were corrected surgically. In one of the two children with a longer distance between the proximal and distal parts of the oesophagus, complications continued to occur; the others recovered reasonably well. The first successful creation of an anastomosis in oesophageal atresia was performed in 1941. Due to the improvement in the treatment the mortality in the past decennia has lowered. An increased morbidity has become apparent. The attention is nowadays focussed on the treatment of morbidity such as strictures, leakage of the anastomoses, gastro-oesophageal reflux, tracheomalacia and recurrent fistula.
