Has your little one's intestines become intrusive? Let's learn about intussusception!

Is your little one crying all the time? Does it sound like a stomach ache? Sometimes, it's normal for us as parents to get worried when we see things like this. However, there are some symptoms that we should be especially concerned about. Today, we're going to talk about intussusception, a serious intestinal condition that requires emergency medical treatment , especially for young children. Don't worry, if you're aware of this, you can act quickly and save your child.

What is this intussusception?

Simply put, intussusception is when one part of your intestine, like the parts of a telescope, folds into the next part of your intestine. Think of it like a sock rolling inwards. This causes a bowel obstruction . Most often, this condition affects the small intestine.

When this happens, food and drink stop moving through the intestine . It also reduces blood flow to that area. If left untreated, this blockage can cause the intestine to swell, become injured , and cause serious complications that can be life-threatening.

Therefore, intussusception is a medical emergency. However, if detected and treated quickly, it can be cured.

How common is this condition?

Intussusception can happen to anyone, even adults. However, it is most common in young children between the ages of 3 months and 3 years.

Intussusception accounts for about 1% of all intestinal blockages in adults. However, it is the leading cause of intestinal blockages in children under 3 years of age. In the United States alone, about 1 in 2,000 infants develop this condition during their first year of life.

What are the symptoms? How to recognize it?

It's important to know if your child has intussusception . And, in the rare event that you develop this condition, it's also a good idea to be aware of the symptoms.

Symptoms in young children

Babies and children with intussusception experience severe, throbbing abdominal pain that goes away after a while and then starts again. This pain can last for 15-20 minutes or more. Babies who cannot express their pain may cry, holding their knees to their stomachs.Then, when the pain is gone (about 20-30 minutes), you can pretend like nothing happened and start playing. But, after a while, the terrible pain starts again.

As the pain continues, the child may become tired, sleepy, and lethargic . They may also develop a fever and go into shock .

Other symptoms that may occur are:

• Abdominal bloating.
• Nausea and vomiting (the vomit may be yellow-green in color).
• Red, jelly-like stools. This is rectal bleeding , which may be mixed with mucus.

Often, these symptoms appear a few weeks after a child has had something like a viral fever. Therefore, the appearance of these symptoms over time may raise suspicion of intussusception .

However, it can be difficult to recognize the signs of intussusception in a child, as not all symptoms occur in every child. Also, it does not always occur when the child is sick.

Here's something to keep in mind: If your baby or toddler seems to have a stomachache for no apparent reason, see a doctor immediately.

Symptoms in adults

Adults also experience stomach pain when they have intussusception . But it can come and go, just like children, or it can be constant. Vomiting, bloating, and bloody stools are also common. However, because these symptoms are common to many gastrointestinal (GI) conditions , many people wait it out. But in the case of intussusception, it's not a good idea to wait. This is a condition that requires emergency medical attention in both children and adults.

Why does intussusception occur? What are the causes?

Most of the time, doctors cannot find a specific cause for intussusception .

Reasons for raising children

In children, this condition seems to be linked to viral infections . Most children develop intussusception in the fall and winter, when viral gastroenteritis is common. In addition, some children may have abnormal structures or lumps in their intestines, such as a Michels diverticulum .Things like Meckel's diverticulum and polyps can also be causes.

Causes of adult acne

The reasons why adults develop this are somewhat obvious. Adults are more likely to develop intussusception if they have colon cancer ( malignant tumors ) or benign growths in the colon . In addition, it can rarely be caused by long-term infectious conditions such as Crohn's disease .

What are the risk factors? Who is more likely to develop it?

There are several risk factors that contribute to the development of this condition:

• Age: Most children develop this between the ages of 3 months and 3 years.
• Gender: Boys are about three times more likely to develop this condition than girls. Researchers are still not sure why this happens.
• Timing: Most children develop this in the fall and winter, which is when stomach viruses tend to get the flu.

Some medical conditions may also increase your child's risk:

• Malrotation of the intestine
• Meckel 's diverticulum
• Polyps or cysts in the colon
• Immunoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis

Conditions that increase your risk as an adult include:

• Colon tumors (most often cancerous, but can also be noncancerous)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Endometriosis
• If you have a feeding tube .

What complications can occur if left untreated?

If treated quickly, the intussusception can be restored to normal. However, if left untreated, intussusception can lead to serious, life-threatening complications, even death.

Possible complications:

• Gastrointestinal perforation : When the intestine becomes blocked due to intussusception , food and digestive juices can back up behind it. This can cause the intestine to enlarge, swell, and eventually burst, forming a hole.
• Severe infection and swelling (peritonitis) : When the intestine becomes swollen and perforated in this way, intestinal contents can leak into the abdominal cavity. This can cause a severe, life-threatening infection called sepsis .
• Bowel necrosis : Damage to the intestine can cause tissue in that area to die.

These complications can occur very quickly as your child's condition worsens. That's why it's so important to seek emergency care right away if you suspect something is wrong.

How do you accurately diagnose this disease? (Diagnosis)

Most of the time, the diagnosis is made during emergency medical care. The tests used to confirm the diagnosis are ultrasound (for children) and CT scan ( for adults). Ultrasound can detect intussusception with 100% accuracy. This is the first test that doctors do to check for intussusception in children.

Your child's doctor may also order an air or contrast enema . In this test, a doctor inserts a liquid containing air or a safe substance called barium into your child's rectum. The pressure from the air or liquid causes the colon to expand, making one part of it disappear inside the other. This process is videotaped using an X-ray machine.

This method not only confirms the diagnosis, but in many cases it can also cure intussusception in children.

How to treat?

The treatment involves using the same air or contrast enema that was used to diagnose the condition to straighten out the blockage in your child's colon. This is a radiologic (like a scan) procedure, not a surgical procedure. So your child will not need anesthesia .

However, this method is not effective for adults with intussusception . They often have to undergo surgery.

Surgery

Adults with intussusception will need surgery. And, rarely, some children will need surgery. For example, if the enema method doesn't work, or if the child has some complications (such as a hole in the intestine, infection), they will need surgery.

This surgery can be a traditional "open" surgery, which means it's done through a large incision in the abdomen. Or, the surgeon may use a minimally invasive procedure called laparoscopy .

LaparoscopyDuring surgery, the surgeon makes two or three small cuts in your child's abdomen. Through these cuts, the surgeon can reach the bowel that has been pulled in and fix it back to its original position. If that is not possible, they will remove the damaged part of the bowel and sew the remaining (unattached) parts back together.

During this surgery, a pediatric anesthesiologist (a doctor who specializes in giving children pain relief) will put your child to sleep. So the child won't feel any pain or be aware of what's happening.

How will the baby feel after the treatment? How long will it take to recover?

After the enema, your child may feel bloated for a few hours. You may need to give acetaminophen (e.g., paracetamol) to reduce pain and fever.

After surgery, your child will need to be given pain medication to keep them comfortable. They will need to be fed intravenously (IV fluids) for a few days until their intestines heal. They can usually start eating again within one to three days. It may take a few weeks to return to their normal activities.

Is there a way to prevent intussusception?

There is no surefire way to prevent intussusception , but you can prevent the worst consequences by getting your child emergency treatment right away .

What should I expect if my child develops this condition? Can it be cured?

Early treatment can improve outcomes in children. Intussusception is usually treated with an air or contrast enema. However, it can recur in 10% to 20% of children. Symptoms can return within the first 48 hours after surgery (this is rare) or weeks or months later (this is more common).

If intussusception recurs, your child's doctor will do the same things they did before to diagnose and treat it. This may include giving another enema .

Before leaving the hospital, ask the doctor what to expect if this happens again, and what the symptoms of recurrence are.

What are the chances of saving the life of a baby with intussusception?

In hospitals with experienced doctors who treat intussusception , a barium or air enema is successful in up to 85% of children. If you take your child to a doctor as soon as you notice symptoms, get a diagnosis, and start treatment, you have a much better chance of saving your child's life without any complications.

Is intussusception always an emergency?

Yes. Intussusception is always a medical emergency. Time is of the essence. If your child shows signs of intussusception , take him to the hospital as soon as possible, that same day.

When should I see a doctor?

If your child has unexplained stomach pain , call their pediatrician immediately and have them checked. If you can't see them that day, take them to an emergency room (ETU) .

After treatment, it's normal for your child to have some swelling around the surgical site. However, call your doctor if your child has any of the following:

• Excessive swelling, redness, warmth, or drainage from the incision.
• Fever (over 101 Fahrenheit / 38 Celsius).
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Signs of recurrence (such as intermittent pain, jelly-like stools).

What are the important questions to ask the doctor?

You can ask questions like these:

• What is causing my child's intestinal blockage?
• How long will it take for him to recover?
• Do I need to make lifestyle changes to help my child get better?
• What signs should I look out for that this could happen again?
• Should I call you if I see signs of recurrence, or go straight to the Emergency Department (ETU) ?

Finally, things to remember (Take-Home Message)

If you notice signs of intussusception in your baby or toddler, don't think twice. It's never normal to have stomach pain that comes and goes. This could be a sign of a serious condition like intussusception . The sooner your child gets treatment, the better the chance of survival without complications. Don't delay. Take him to a doctor or an emergency room. Your quick action could help save your child's life.

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