For most animals like sharks, amphibians, birds, and reptiles, the cloaca is a chamber where multiple body systems occur.
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What are Cloacas?
From a Latin word that means sewer, cloacas are a common excretory chamber for the intestinal, urinary, and genital tracts. It is common in amphibians, birds, elasmobranch fishes like sharks and rays, reptiles, and monotremes like echidnas and platypus.
Some animals have specific membranes in their cloacas that help guide reproduction. While some, like sharks, bind their cloacas together to induce reproduction.
Cloacas in Humans and Why it Shouldn't Happen
Despite the efficiency posed by cloacas, it presents significant challenges when it occurs in humans. Little known fact, all human fetuses have cloacas at the beginning. During pregnancy, it separates, forming all-important reproductive organs, urethra, and the anus.
Unfortunately, this isn't the case for roughly 1 in 50,000 female babies leaving the infants with varying degrees of cloacal deformity, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Despite both sexes originating from a cloaca, a study in 2013 shows that cloacal deformity in male babies is very rare.
The appearance of a cloaca depends on where and how the tracts merge. If they join at a low point, the baby will not have a visible anus despite everything looking normal.
If the tracts merge at a high point, excreting waste would be difficult for the baby's body. Urinary tract infections are common for infants with this type of cloacal deformation.
Additionally, infants with cloacal malformation often suffer from other problems such as an enlarged clitoris, blocked vagina, odd-shaped anus, spinal cord, and heart problems.
Dr. Richard Wood, chief of the department of Pediatric Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery at Nationwide Children's Hospital, explains, "In an animal cloaca the ureter empties directly into the cloaca. There's no bladder, so that common area doesn't have a stasis of urine."
The non-moving collection of urine in humans is a big deal if there is a cloaca. "In kids with cloacas, the problem is mostly infection from the stool into their bladder."
According to Wood, surgery during the first days of life is necessary. He explains that 20 to 50% of patients with cloacal malformation end up with renal problems because of the kidneys' recurring damage. Many end up needing kidney transplants.
Additionally, in most cases, sexual intercourse is impossible unless proper treatment is osught.
Unfortunately, in a report in the Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, the procedure is complicated and can be followed by complications such as urethral stenosis, vaginal and anal closure, neurogenic bladder, tight introitus, and more.
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