Hirschsprung’s Disease Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
Hirschsprung’s disease is a type of congenital abnormality found in infants. Abnormalities are found in the large intestine (colon), in the form of the absence of nerves in one part of the large intestine which causes intestinal contractions to be disrupted.
Babies with Hirschsprung’s disease often have difficulty passing stools. This is caused by a disturbance in the nerve cells whose job is to control bowel movements.
Normally, the intestines will move to push feces (feces) toward the anus. However, a nervous breakdown due to Hirschsprung’s disease causes the intestines to not work properly and traps feces in the intestines.
Hirschsprung’s Disease Symptoms
The main symptom of Hirschsprung’s disease is recurrent constipation, which occurs from birth. Apart from constipation, other symptoms that can occur are vomiting, an enlarged stomach, a child’s height and weight are lower than they should be.
Symptoms of Hirschsprung’s disease can be suspected from birth. The sign is meconium, which is the baby’s first greenish stool, which comes out too late. A normal baby will pass meconium within the first 48 hours of birth. Meanwhile, in babies who have Hirschsprung’s disease, meconium only comes out after more than 48 hours.
In older children, Hirschsprung’s symptoms can also include loose stools with blood, or having to use laxatives to have a bowel movement.
Hirschsprung’s Disease Reason
Under normal circumstances, when the fetus develops in the womb, nerve cells will also develop in the intestines. Thus the intestine can contract properly when food enters it. Without contractions, feces will be trapped in the intestine and can’t get out.
In people with Hirschsprung’s disease, these nerve cells stop developing so that there are parts of the large intestine that do not have nerves. The cause of the developmental disorder of the nerve cells is not yet known with certainty.
In some cases, Hirschsprung’s disease is thought to be related to heredity or genetics. In addition, baby boys were also found to be more at risk of Hirschsprung’s disease than baby girls.
Hirschsprung’s Disease Diagnosis
If there are symptoms that lead to Hirschsprung’s disease, the doctor will perform a digital rectal examination by inserting one finger into the patient’s anus. If spraying of feces is found, the suspicion of Hirschsprung is clearer.
To confirm the presence of Hirschsprung, it is generally necessary to do a barium enema examination. This examination is carried out by injecting contrast into the patient’s intestine, then taking radiological photos to see if there is a narrowed part of the large intestine due to the absence of nerves.
Hirschsprung’s Disease Treatment
The main treatment for Hirschsprung’s disease is surgery. The operation is performed on the large intestine, by cutting the part of the intestine that has no nerve cells, and connecting the healthy intestine.
Prevention
There is nothing that can be done to prevent Hirschsprung’s disease.