Epidemiology
Most intussusception usually occurs in previously healthy children, with a peak occurrence between 5 and 9 months (1), with boys affected twice as much as girls. (2) The mean incidence of intussusception is 74 per 100,000 among children under the age of one (3), and it is the commonest cause of intestinal obstruction in children aged 3 months to 6 years.
There is often a pronounced seasonal variation, suggesting an underlying viral aetiology (adenovirus and rotavirus have been suggested).
Reference
- Samad L, Marven S, El Bashir H, et al. Prospective surveillance study of the management of intussusception in UK and Irish infants. Br J Surg. 2012 Mar;99(3):411-5.
- Fischer TK, Bihrmann K, Perch M, et al. Intussusception in early childhood: a cohort study of 1.7 million children. Pediatrics. 2004 Sep;114(3):782-5.
- Jiang J, Jiang B, Parashar U, et al. Childhood intussusception: a literature review. PLoS One. 2013;8(7):e68482.
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