children s health issues
Hirschsprung Disease
Symptoms of Hirschsprung Disease
Normally, almost all newborns pass meconium (a dark green material that is considered the first bowel movement) in the first 24 hours of life. Delayed passage of meconium raises the suspicion of Hirschsprung disease. Later in infancy, children with Hirschsprung disease can have symptoms that suggest intestinal obstruction, such as bile-stained vomit, a swollen abdomen, refusal to eat, malnutrition, and constipation. If only a small section of the intestine is affected, a child may have milder symptoms and may not be diagnosed until later in childhood or, rarely, adulthood. Hirschsprung enterocolitis causes sudden fever, a swollen abdomen, and explosive and, at times, bloody diarrhea. 