What you should know about babies born without an anus

When a baby's urinary system and the ano-rectal passage fails to separate, this can result in a condition whereby the baby is born without an anus. Photo: Shutterstock

Ano-rectal malformation (ARM) refers to an abnormality in the formation of the rectum or anus of a newborn.

These babies often present with no opening to their bottom end at birth.