Emergency gastrointestinal radiology of the newborn

Imaging plays a major role in most neonatal gastrointestinal emergencies. The role may vary from helping to establish a diagnosis, to the evaluation of associated abnormalities, to surgical planning, or to therapy for some conditions like meconium ileus or meconium plug syndrome. Plain radiographs and bowel contrast examinations serve as primary imaging modalities with ultrasound, CT scan, and MR imaging playing roles in more complex cases.