Hirschsprung’s Disease

Hirschsprung’s disease is a condition your child is born with (congenital) that slows or stops the movement of waste (poop) through their colon. Your child’s healthcare provider may also call it congenital megacolon. In Hirschsprung’s disease, nerve cells don’t develop as they should near the end of your baby’s large intestine.

When digestion happens as expected, nerve cells send signals telling muscles in your colon to tense and relax. These specific nerve cells are called neural crest cells. This tensing and relaxing moves waste (poop) along, from the beginning to the end of your intestines. Eventually, the waste fills your rectum, which activates nerves in the lining of your anus (butthole) that make it feel like you have to poop.

If your baby has Hirschsprung’s disease, poop moves through their intestines until it reaches the section that’s missing nerve cells. Once the poop reaches that point, it moves slowly or stops (constipation).

Without treatment, Hirschsprung’s disease can cause serious complications.

How common is Hirschsprung’s disease?

Hirschsprung’s disease occurs in about 1 out of 5,000 births. It is three to four times more common in people assigned male at birth (AMAB) than people assigned female at birth (AFAB).