Hirschsprung's Disease

Home Treatment

Home treatment is not appropriate if you believe your child has symptoms of Hirschsprung's disease. See your health professional. However, if your child has had surgery for this condition, you can take measures at home to help you manage your child's recovery and any long-term effects of the condition.

If your child has a colostomy after surgery for Hirschsprung's disease, a health professional will teach you how to care for it. The health professional may meet with you while your child is at the hospital and then follow up with later visits in your home. For more information, see:

Bowel disease: Caring for your ostomy.

After surgery, also watch for signs of complications, such as fever, pain, or redness and warmth around the incision. Severe abdominal pain, vomiting, or bleeding from the rectum should be immediately reported to your health professional.

Children successfully treated for Hirschsprung's disease often have leaking of stool (fecal incontinence) for years after successful surgery.¹ Chronic problems with diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal aches can also occur. The causes for these problems vary. A colon manometry is a procedure that can help health professionals diagnose and treat the problem. However, it is only done in a few specialized centers.³ If your child continually struggles with bothersome symptoms, talk to your doctor about the possibility of getting a colon manometry.

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Author:	Amy Fackler, MA Debby Golonka, MPH	Last Updated: October 16, 2006
Medical Review:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Paul E. Hyman, MD - Pediatric Gastroenterology
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