14 Signs and Symptoms of Hirschsprung Disease in Infants

Hirschsprung disease is a disorder that causes infants to be unable to make a bowel movement. The large intestine or colon causes problems with passing a stool. There are missing nerve cells in the baby’s colon muscles. It is noticed at birth that a baby has Hirschsprung disease because he or she has symptoms a few days after being born.

Surgery is the only course of action to get rid of the diseased part of the colon. There are eight signs and symptoms to look out for after giving birth to see if the baby has Hirschsprung disease. It can be stressful on the parents during this time, but once the diseased colon is treated, the baby will be able to make bowel movements and live a happy life. Your baby will be no different than a healthy baby. He or she is special in their own way. They just need extra care.

1. Failure to make a bowel movement

is the most common sign that your infant has Hirschsprung disease. A bowel movement needs to be made at least 48 hours after birth. When no bowel movement is made the baby will be cranky because there is some pain. Surgery will need to be done in order to get the infant to make a bowel movement. Once surgery is completed, the infant will be fine. This usually occurs in male infants.

This is not to say that all male babies have this disorder, but this is something to look out for. It is curable through surgery and the baby will live a normal life. It’s good that the surgery is done while they’re an infant instead of later in life. If it happens later in life, it may cause other symptoms that may be difficult to cure as easily. Parents shouldn’t worry because the child will thrive.