When many people hear the term "colon disease," they tend to think about colon cancer and the preventive measures older adults may take to screen for the disease. Colon disease is not restricted to adults and is not always cancerous. Hirschprung's disease is a form of colon disease that strikes infants. Babies who are born with Hirschsprung's disease lack nerve cells, called ganglion cells, in portions of their intestines that allow solid waste to pass through through the colon and out of the body.
Statistics
According to the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, one out of every 5,000 babies is born with Hirschprung's disease. Newborn boys may be more likely than girls to suffer from this form of colon disease.
Symptoms
The most notable symptom of this type of colon disorder is that newborns who have Hirschsprung's disease do not tend to produce a bowel movement within the first 48 after birth. Passage of stool within this time frame is seen as a normal behavior of newborn infants, yet because of the lack of nerve cells, a baby with Hirschsprung's is unable to produce stool. After the first few days, the baby will be extremely constipated or may vomit. The backup of feces may cause the infant's stomach to become distended.
Diagnosis
The lack of the first bowel movement is usually the first sign that a baby may have colon disease, but the condition can be definitely diagnosed through medical testing. The University of California, San Francisco Children's hospital explains that a barium enema and a biopsy of intestinal tissue are used to determine if an infant has Hirschsprung's disease. The barium enema can show a narrowing of the intestines that indicates the area is without ganglion cells. Studying the cells under a microscope can allow medical professionals to see if there are, in fact, ganglion cells present.
Treatment
This form of colon disease in babies is treated through surgery. The extent of the surgery and the number of operations required varies according to how many areas of the colon are affected. Surgeons remove the sections of the intestines that do not contain ganglion cells, and in some cases may create a stoma to allow the baby to get rid of waste through alternate means. A stoma is an opening made in the abdomen that allows solid waste to be expelled outside the body without being routed through the lower part of the digestive tract. Some babies require temporary stomas, which later are removed when sections of the intestines are reconnected inside the body.
Complications
Babies with Hirschsprung's disease have a higher risk of developing entercolitis, a colon infection. Symptoms of enterocolitis include diarrhea and subsequent dehydration. Your child's pediatrician will let you know how to monitor him to be sure he is not developing enterocolitis.
