Introduction

Hirschsprung's disease is a rare condition that causes poo to become stuck in the bowels. It mainly affects babies and young children.

Normally, the bowelcontinuously squeezes and relaxes to pushpoo along, a process controlled by your nervous system.

In Hirschsprung's disease, the nerves that control this movement are missing from a section at the end of the bowel, which means poo can build up and form a blockage.

This can cause severe Constipation , and occasionallylead to a serious bowel infection called enterocolitis if it's not identified and treated early on.

However, the condition is usually picked up soon after birth and treated with surgery as soon as possible.

This page covers:

Symptoms of Hirschsprung's disease

When to get medical advice

How Hirschsprung's disease is diagnosed

What causes Hirschsprung's disease?

Treatments for Hirschsprung's disease

Outlook for Hirschsprung's disease

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 29 Nov 2016