Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

Cassie Finnigan’s Contribution to Improving Newborn Screening for 

Anorectal Malformations

Cassie Finnigan, Founder of Max’s Trust, contributed as a peer reviewer, to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Core Online Learning Module:

Detecting Anorectal Malformations (see link below)

Drawing on both her personal experience and also supporting families affected by these conditions, her input helped ensure the course accurately reflects the challenges faced by both babies and their parents.

Incorporating parents’ lived experiences into eLearning tools is vital. It helps healthcare professionals recognise not only the clinical signs of Anorectal Malformations but also the emotional impact of delayed diagnosis. This perspective improves sensitivity, communication, and care delivery, ensuring newborns are thoroughly assessed and families receive the support they need.

By combining expert clinical guidance with real-world insights from families, this module equips healthcare professionals to detect Anorectal Malformations early, reducing complications, enabling timely surgical interventions, and improving long-term outcomes for children. At its core, the course is about patient safety and early diagnosis in newborns: timely recognition of these conditions can prevent serious complications, reduce the need for emergency interventions, and ensure that both babies and their families receive the support and care they need from the star

Anorectal malformations (ARM) are not always obvious at birth.

• A baby may externally look typical

• The anus might be absent, misplaced, or blocked

If not checked carefully during the newborn exam (NIPE), the diagnosis can be missed entirely in the first hours or days.

If ARM is not detected early, babies can develop:

• Bowel obstruction

• Vomiting and abdominal swelling

• Risk of perforation or sepsis

These can quickly become life-threatening emergencies.

When identified promptly:

• Babies can be referred urgently to paediatric surgeons

• Appropriate imaging and management can start early

• Surgery can be planned safely

Checking for ARM is a mandatory part of the newborn physical exam (NIPE).

This course ensures clinicians know exactly what to look for. Many clinicians:

• Feel unsure examining the perineum

• May not recognise subtle abnormalities

This training helps you:

• Perform a systematic exam

• Recognise red flags immediately

• Act without delay

  
  

https://learning.rcpch.ac.uk/courses/detecting-ano-rectal-malformations-core/