Esophageal atresia (EA) is usually diagnosed shortly after birth when an infant exhibits symptoms such as coughing, choking and turning blue when trying to feed. If the physician is unable to pass a feeding tube all the way into the child's stomach through the nose or mouth, this is a sign of EA. This diagnosis is then typically confirmed with x-rays.
Sometimes, EA is identified before birth if the mother's ultrasound shows too much amniotic fluid or an "absent stomach," which is a sign of this disorder.