Meconium ileus without perforation

Definition

The meconium sometimes becomes thickened and congested in the terminal ileum, a condition known as meconium ileus. Meconium ileus is among the most common causes of intestinal obstruction in the newborn, accounting for 9-33% of neonatal intestinal obstructions. A symptom of both Hirschsprung’s disease and cystic fibrosis is the failure to pass meconium. Some babies have a blockage in their colon that may look like meconium ileus (a meconium plug), and they have small left colon syndrome. This means the last part of their colon is smaller than normal.

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