Symptoms:

• Constipation
• Failure to pass meconium shortly after birth
• Failure to pass a first stool within 24 - 48 hours after birth
• Malabsorption
• Poor weight gain
• Slow growth (child 0-5 years)
• Swollen belly
• Vomiting
• Watery diarrhea (in the newborn)

Signs and tests:

During a physical examination, the doctor may be able to feel loops of bowel in the swollen belly. A rectal examination may reveal a loss of muscle tone in the rectal muscles.

Tests used to help diagnose Hirschsprung's disease may include:

• Abdominal x-ray
• Anal manometry (a balloon is inflated in the rectum to measure pressure in the area)
• Barium enema
• Rectal biopsy