7th Grade Research Paper for Language Arts Class
By Alexis
May 21, 1999
HIRSCHSPRUNG’S DISEASE
In this report, Hirschsprung's disease will be explored. What is Hirschsprung’s disease? Who is affected by this disease? What are the symptoms? Is it deadly? These questions will be answered in research.
Hirschsprung’s disease needs to be defined. Hirschsprung’s disease is a "genetic disorder", that is when there are no nerve cells in the large intestine the muscles can not work and can’t move feces along ("Hirschsprung’s Disease"1;World Book Rush-Presbyterian – St. Luke’s Med. Ctr. Med. Encyclopedia 425). Hirschsprung’s disease was named after "Harald Hirschsprung" who took care of two boys that couldn’t have proper "bowel movement" ("Hirschsprung’s Disease"1).
Hirschsprung’s disease originates before birth. The development of the disease starts very early in the embryo inside the womb (Fackelmann, Kathery A. 174). It happens within the fifth and the twelfth week of existence (Fackelmann, Kathy A. 174).
Hirschsprung’s disease is caused geneticly. This disease is caused when the bowel does not allow "stools" (feces) to pass through ("Hirschsprung’s Disease"1). In some families, one single gene probably causes the disease, that gene is located on chromosome ten (Fackelmann, Kathy A. 174).
Who gets Hirschsprung’s disease? Hirschsprung’s disease’s odds boys to girls are four to one (Rush-Presbyterian 976). It is mostly found in babies (Rush-Presbyterian 976).
Chances of getting this disease are very slim. The chances of getting Hirschsprung’s disease are out of 5,000 births, one baby has the disease ("Hirschsprung’s Disease"1).
There are many symptoms of Hirschsprung’s disease. The infected infant has "severe, continuous constipation" and the abdomen gets very swollen because of the build up of feces in the intestine (Rush-Presbyterian 425). Severe vomiting, passing gas, slow growth, constipation from birth when the babies with this disease do not pass "dark green-brown" stools within twenty-four hours of birth are all symptoms of Hirschsprung’s disease (Rush-Presbyterian 976). A bloated stomach is also a sign of this disease ("Unexpected Death from Enterocolitis after Surgery for Hirschsprung’s Disease"119). Babies "may have trouble passing meconium, the thick, sticky material that is a newborn’s first bowel movement" (Fackelmann, Kathy A. 174). In some cases babies can seem healthy until they eat solid foods that are harder to digest (Fackelmann, Kathy A. 174).
There are two ways to diagnose Hirschsprung’s disease. One is a "rectal suction biopsy" which is looking at a piece of tissue under a microscope to see if the nearve cells are missing (Lori , np). The other one is a "barium enema x-ray test", that is used to determine if the canals in the bowel have collapsed (Hirschsprung’s Disease"1).
There is only one solution to correct or to treat Hirschsprung’s disease, but many different techniques to do it. After the diagnosis is made, if the baby is too young for surgery, the physician might suggest "saline enemas" to empty the intestine (Rush-Presbyterian 976). Surgery is needed to remove the affected bowel and join together the healthy segments of the bowel ("Hirschsprung’s Disease"2). There are three different ways of doing the surgery, all mostly successful ("Hirschsprung’s Disease"2). The three different techniques to do "pull through" surgery are Swenson, Duhamel, and Soave (Lori np).
The prognosis varies, but is important. Before "1948" almost every baby with Hirschsprung’s died, but today surgery lets them live (Fackelmann, Kathy A. 174). Usually a result of Hirschsprung’s disease could be megacolon (Rush-Presbyterian 557). Episodes of diarrhea, acute illness, and fever might occur because of infection (Rush-Presbyterian 976). After successful surgery, there are usually no long term effects ("Hirschsprung’s Disease"2). Some babies dies before anyone knows what’s wrong with them; chance of death from infection before surgery is 20 to 50 percent, even after surgery is up to 30 percent (Fackelmann, Kathy A.; "Unexpected death from Enterocolitis After Surgery for Hirschsprung’s Disease"121).
This report explored all about Hirschsprung’s diesase. It was learned that the absence of nerve cells in the intestine causes this disease. The chances of getting it are slim, and that it can be cured with surgery. Hirschsprung’s is a severe disease to be infected with.
WORKS CITED:
Fackelmann,Kathy A. ,"Gutsy Genetics", Science News, Sept. 11, 1993: 174 – 175.
"Hirschsprung’s Disease"http://www.tiac.net/users/aphs/hirsh2.htm:" - no longer in existance (2/9/99)
"Hirschsprung’s Disease", World Book Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Med. Ctr. Med.
Encyclopedia 1998.
Lori, Personal Interview // http://www.hirschsprungs.info (5/2/99)
"Unexpected Death from Enterocolitis After Surgery for Hirschsprung’s Disease",
Pediatrics July 1995: 118 – 121.