How to Care for Your Child with Intussusception

The child could have one or more of the following symptoms:

• Severe abdominal pain. Younger children may look very irritable during this episode and cry loudly.
• Vomiting
• Bloody stool or stool that appears like jelly mixed with mucous
• Excessive tiredness and sleepiness.

• The doctor will ask a few questions about your child’s health and examine your child.
• The doctor may request an x-ray and Ultrasound scan of your child’s abdomen and /or blood test.

There are few treatment options:

• Keeping your child fasting and maintaining hydration with Intravenous fluid.
• Giving your child pain relief medicine intravenously (through needle or tube inserted into a vein).
• Giving your child enema: A doctor will insert a small soft tube containing liquid or air in the rectum. This will help to resolve the sliding of the intestines.
• Surgery may be required in case of enema failure.
• Small intestines intussusception usually resolves itself. Most patients don’t need admission.

Seek medical advice if your child experiences:

• Unexplained excessive crying
• Continuous vomiting
• Blood or blood mixed with mucous in stool.
• Excessive tiredness and sleepiness.

• Give Pain relief medicine to your child as advised by your doctor.
• If your child usually takes solid food you can start to introduce solid food gradually to your child at home.
• Ensure your child get adequate rest.
• Intussusception may happen again; seek medical advice if your child develops any of the above symptoms, this can be treated in the same way as before.