What is Hirschsprung’s disease? How do I know if my child has Hirschsprung disease?

Hirschsprung disease is characterized by the absence of specific nerve cells (ganglionic) in the intestine. This is a rare type of birth defect in the intestinal tract of infants and children. So what is Hirschsprung disease? How do I know if my child has Hirschsprung disease? Learn about this disease with lassho.edu.vn through the article below.

Note: The article is for reference only and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment.

What is Hirschsprung’s disease?

Hirschsprung’s disease is a birth defect that causes a lack of nerve cells at the end of the intestine. The gut is home to many nerve cells that control how the gut works.

When this organ lacks nerve cells, it cannot function properly and there is a risk of a blockage because stool does not move through the intestines in the normal way. The stool will move through the intestines until it reaches the part where the nerve cells are missing and then the movement slows down or stops.

Hirschsprung disease in children includes short Hirschsprung and long Hirschsprung. In the short Hirschsprung, the missing neurons are from the last part of the baby’s large intestine . In the long Hirschsprung, neurons are absent from most of the entire large intestine and possibly also at the end of the small intestine. However, it is very rare that a child with Hirschsprung disease has a complete lack of neurons in the entire large and small intestine.

Hirschsprung disease is a birth defect

What causes Hirschsprung’s disease?

During the formation and development in the womb, the nerve cells of this organ stop growing towards the end and cause Hirschsprung disease. Many scientists think that Hirschsprung disease in children has a higher rate due to genetic defects. To date, there is no test that can screen for Hirschsprung disease in babies in the womb.

To prevent Hirschsprung’s disease in babies, scientists are studying a mother’s health history and lifestyle to see if it increases the chances of her baby being born with Hirschsprung disease.

Although it is a birth defect, the symptoms may or may not be obvious. If one parent has Hirschsprung disease, their child has a higher chance of having Hirschsprung disease, and when their child has Hirschsprung disease, there is a chance that their children will also have Hirschsprung disease.

Hirschsprung disease is likely to occur in about one in every 5000 children. Children with Down syndrome, a birth defect, are also at increased risk.

What causes Hirschsprung’s disease?

What are the signs and symptoms of Hirschsprung’s disease?

In babies with Hirschsprung disease, the most obvious sign and symptom for parents is constipation and bowel obstruction soon after birth. Unlike otherwise healthy infants and children, children with Hirschsprung’s disease usually do not respond to intravenous constipation medications. In addition to the main sign, children with Hirschsprung disease also have other symptoms such as:

• Children’s bodies grow more slowly
• Unexplained heat, fever
• Vomiting
• Stiff abdomen, frequent bloating

What are the signs and symptoms of Hirschsprung’s disease?

Children will have different symptoms, but this change is independent of the number of missing nerve cells in the gut. An early symptom that parents should pay attention to is that in some babies, the disease will not have the first bowel movement within 48 hours of birth. Other symptoms include diarrhea (often bloody) or green or brown discharge when the child vomits.

In toddlers and older children there will be other signs and symptoms such as an inability to have a bowel movement without a prescription, or bloating, diarrhea, which is often bloody and grows more slowly than their peers.

Children with Hirschsprung disease are prone to constipation after birth

Nutrition and precautions with Hirschsprung disease

Children with Hirschsprung disease who have surgery to remove part of their colon will need to drink plenty of fluids to replace lost fluids and prevent dehydration. Children also need twice as much salt as the average child, the doctor can measure the amount of sodium in the child’s urine to adjust the diet accordingly, making sure to replace enough salt.

Some infants may need a feeding tube for a while to receive formula or liquid food directly into the stomach or small intestine. The doctor will guide the tube through the child’s nose.

Nutrition and precautions with Hirschsprung disease

Hirschsprung disease is one of the diseases that cause constipation and intestinal obstruction in children. Hopefully, through this article, you will get the necessary information about Hirschsprung disease and have prevention methods as well as take your child to the hospital for timely treatment.

Source: Vinmec.com health website specialist

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