Intestinal obstruction in the baby

Definition of intestinal obstruction in the baby

The intestinal obstruction is a pathological interruption of the intestinal passage. The term ileus is also used in medical terminology. It is an acutely life-threatening situation that requires immediate medical treatment. This topic now deals specifically with intestinal obstruction in infants and newborns.

How can you detect a bowel obstruction in a baby yourself?

When a baby suffers from an intestinal obstruction, it is usually very whiny and cries a lot. If a baby eats less than normal or has less appetite over a longer period of time, this can also be due to problems in the gastrointestinal tract. If the baby is in severe pain, he or she may lie in a relieving position, for example by pulling the legs against the body. It can also be observed that there are pain-free moments, followed by painful ones. Since the intestinal obstruction prevents the food from being transported further in the gastrointestinal tract, babies usually vomit or have constipation and stool retention.

Signs and symptoms

At first the baby is increasingly sick, vomits, has flatulence and diarrhoea. Bloody or slimy stools and subsequent constipation and stool retention can also indicate an intestinal obstruction. At the beginning of the illness, the vomit is stomach contents and bile.

If the disease is advanced, the newborn also vomits stool. In addition, a hardened abdominal wall or a bloated, pressure-painful abdomen can be an indication of an obstruction in the area of the intestinal tract. An advanced intestinal obstruction causes massive pain.

The affected newborns are very weepy, anxious, scream a lot and writhe in pain. It is observed that they tighten their legs strongly and are sometimes very apathetic. Typical of an intestinal obstruction can be a short-term absence of symptoms, during which the pain subsides and the baby seeks physical closeness to the mother or father, followed by a period of severe painful cramps.

As a result of the high strain, a state of shock may occur. The baby is cold sweaty, pale and weakened when shock occurs due to intestinal obstruction. There is severe pain when pressure is applied to the affected area.

In addition, there may be blood in the stool, which indicates damage to the intestinal wall. The longer the stool remains in the bowel, the harder it becomes (because the intestinal villi naturally withdraw water from the faeces) and the more it damages the bowel wall when it passes through. The pain usually increases over the course of time.

In addition to the symptoms mentioned, fever can also occur. An intestinal obstruction can lead to increased flatulence. This manifests itself in the baby as increased farting.

As the gastrointestinal passage stops in the event of an intestinal obstruction, the food pulp is no longer transported in the intestine. As a result, the food slurry in the intestine is digested by the bacteria there and gases are produced. These gases become noticeable as flatulence or even as farts in the baby.