Who is affected by intussusception?
Intussusception is most frequently diagnosed in children who are between 3 months and 5 years of age. About 60% of children who develop intussusception are 1 year of age or younger; most are between 6 months and 11 months.1 The condition is about three times more common in males than in females.2
The cause of intussusception is often unknown in children who are younger than 5 years of age. Children older than age 5 are more likely than younger children to have an underlying condition that leads to intussusception, such as polyps.
Citations
McCollough M, Sharieff GQ (2003). Abdominal surgical emergencies in infants and young children. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, 21(4): 909–935.
Sondheimer JM (2005). Intussusception section of Gastrointestinal tract. In WW Hay Jr et al., eds., Current Pediatric Diagnosis and Treatment, 17th ed., pp. 637–638. New York: McGraw-Hill.
| Author | Amy Fackler, MA |
| Author | Debby Golonka, MPH |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Associate Editor | Terrina Vail |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Brad W. Warner, MD - Pediatric Surgery |
| Last Updated | August 22, 2006 |
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