Most babies are born without any issues, but in some circumstances, some babies are born with organs outside of their bodies, rather than inside where they belong.
Known as gastroschisis, this is a condition where the intestines of the infant are protruding through the skin and bunched up outside of the belly rather than being stuffed inside of the belly. Corrective surgery is available that reverses this problem, but it doesn't lack its complications.
For one, organs that are outside of the body and exposed to the elements tend to get inflamed and suffer from improper operation. Additionally, because the baby never had the organs in their belly to begin with, there's hardly any room to put the organs where they belong.
Other organs, including the liver and even the spleen can find themselves outside of the body. This condition affects about 1 out of 2,000 births, and it seems to be increasing in regularity.
What causes it? Well that's still on the fence. Some scientists think that it could be a blood flow issue during development that disallows the fetus to develop thick enough abdominal walls capable of containing the organs, and soon enough, they rupture through the surface and continue to develop outside of the body.
Exposure to certain chemicals, including smoking and drinking while pregnant, probably don't help anything.
Fortunately, the issue is almost always reversible and the babies can grow to live fulfilling lives.
