Infant Intussusception Symptoms and Treatment

Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
Updated on May 20, 2025
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Clinical manifestations of intussusception include: firstly, abdominal pain, which is paroxysmal, regular, and characterized by sudden episodes of colicky pain. The child may cry, appear restless, draw knees to the abdomen, have a pale face, and experience pain that lasts for several minutes or longer. The pain subsides, and the child may fall asleep quietly, but the pain typically recurs at intervals of ten to twenty minutes. Secondly, vomiting is an early symptom, initially reflexive and containing curds and food residue, later possibly including bile. Thirdly, bloody stools are an important symptom, with about 85% of cases passing jelly-like mucoid bloody stools within six to twelve hours after onset. Fourthly, an abdominal mass is often located in the upper right abdomen below the costal margin, where a slightly prominent intussusception mass can be felt. In terms of systemic symptoms, the general condition is good in the early stages, with no symptoms of systemic poisoning. As the disease progresses, the condition worsens, and complications such as intestinal necrosis or peritonitis may develop, leading to deterioration of systemic symptoms and possibly resulting in dehydration, high fever, coma, shock, and other toxic symptoms. Treatment methods include both surgical and non-surgical treatments.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
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Can intussusception resolve itself automatically?

Some children with intussusception may resolve spontaneously, but it is important to closely monitor their condition with ultrasound to understand the status of the intussusception. If it does not resolve on its own in a short period, immediate surgical treatment is necessary. If the ultrasound shows successful resolution, or if the child's clinical symptoms such as vomiting and abdominal pain improve and the ultrasound does not reveal any obvious abnormalities, it is considered an automatic recovery.

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Written by Bai Yan Hui
Pediatrics
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How to check for intussusception?

Intussusception is primarily diagnosed based on medical history, symptoms, physical signs, and auxiliary examinations. Medical history is mainly gathered by asking the parents, which is very important. Physical signs involve the doctor performing an abdominal palpation, where generally a mass can be felt on the abdominal wall. Auxiliary examinations usually include abdominal ultrasonography and upright abdominal plain films. For more complicated cases or when the location is unique and difficult to detect, a CT scan of the intestines may be performed to make the final diagnosis.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
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Is intussusception in children serious?

Intussusception is a life-threatening emergency, and its reduction is an urgent treatment measure that should be performed immediately once diagnosed. In the early stages, the child generally appears healthy, with normal body temperature and no obvious symptoms of poisoning. However, as the condition progresses and the duration of the intussusception increases, it can lead to intestinal necrosis or peritonitis, causing a deterioration in the overall condition. Commonly, severe dehydration, high fever, coma, shock, and other serious symptoms of poisoning may occur.

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Written by He Zong Quan
General Surgery
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How long will diarrhea from intussusception take to get better?

Intussusception causes diarrhea. In such cases, the intussusception itself indicates an intestinal blockage. Patients with the obstruction will experience significant pain, vomiting, bloating, and closure. The anus will stop discharging gas or stool. If diarrhea occurs at this time, it is not caused by the intussusception. If the intussusception cannot be resolved, the diarrhea will improve in the short term. Of course, we must address the main issue of intussusception, and the diarrhea can be temporarily disregarded. We only need to perform air enema reduction and mainly resolve the intestinal obstruction and intussusception through surgical treatment. Diarrhea, because it is treated with IV fluids and some intestinal anti-inflammatory medications, will naturally subside.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
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Caused by infantile intussusception

Intussusception is divided into primary and secondary types, with 95% being primary cases, most commonly seen in infants and young children. This is due to the fact that the mesentery of the ileocecal part in infants and young children is not yet fully fixed and has a greater degree of mobility, which are structural factors that facilitate the occurrence of intussusception. The remaining 5% are secondary cases generally occurring in older children, where the affected intestines often have a clear organic cause, such as a Meckel's diverticulum turning into the ileal lumen, serving as the starting point for intussusception. Other causes like intestinal polyps, tumors, duplications, or abdominal purpura can cause the intestinal wall to swell and thicken, which can also trigger intussusception.