Signs of intussusception include tummy pain, vomiting and possibly blood in your child's poo.
Intussusception is a rare condition where one part of the bowel slides inside the next (like a telescope) and causes a blockage.
In New Zealand, there are about 65 cases of intussusception for every 100,000 children under one.
In most cases of intussusception, the cause is unknown. Some cases occur after an infection, like a tummy bug.
While the cause of intussusception is unknown, there is a small additional risk of intussusception from receiving rotavirus immunisation (given by mouth), most often in the first week after immunisation.
The increased risk is between 1 and 6 more infants in every 100,000 infants immunised.
The overall benefits of immunisation far outweigh the very small risk of intussusception.
Intussusception is most common in children under 2 years of age but can happen in older children.
Signs of intussusception may include:
If you're worried your baby might have intussusception, seek urgent medical help.
If your baby has some of the symptoms above, and you're worried they might have intussusception, seek urgent medical help. If you can't see a doctor straightaway, call an ambulance. Dial 111 within New Zealand (use the appropriate emergency number in other countries).
If your baby has some of the above symptoms and has recently had rotavirus immunisation, tell your doctor.
Intussusception is treated in hospital. A radiologist (specialist doctor) can usually unfold the intussusception by using air or fluid to push the folded part of the bowel back into its normal position. In about 30 in 100 cases, an operation is necessary. After surgery, your baby will need to stay in hospital for a few days to recover.
Most babies recover completely with no further problems. But, intussusception can happen again in up to 1 in 10 cases.
Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand. Rotavirus [1].
Medsafe. NZ. Information for consumers. Information on rotavirus vaccination (Rotarix) [2]
HealthEd. Immunise against rotavirus - protect your child [3].
Immunisation Advisory Centre. Rotavirus [4].
Intussusception illustration by Dr Greta File. Property of KidsHealth.
This page last reviewed 07 March 2022.
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Links
[1] https://info.health.nz/conditions-treatments/infectious-diseases/rotavirus/
[2] https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/consumers/cmi/r/Rotarix.pdf
[3] https://healthed.govt.nz/products/immunise-against-rotavirus-protect-your-child
[4] https://www.immune.org.nz/diseases/rotavirus
[5] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F2026%3Flanguage%3Dzh-hans