Pediatric colorectal care
Comprehensive care for colorectal and digestive conditions — built around your child and your family.
A clear plan from a team that understands colorectal care
When your child is dealing with constipation, bowel control concerns, or complex digestive symptoms, it can affect everything. We bring pediatric specialists together to understand what’s happening and build a plan that fits your child’s needs.
Innovative colorectal programs
Patient resources
Colorectal conditions are difficult for both the child and family. Learn more about some of the resources available to families with colorectal conditions.
Colorectal Center Family Support Group: A private Facebook group for patients and parents to discuss issues related to anorectal malformations, Hirschsprung’s Disease, and severe idiopathic constipation.
Utah Parent Center: A training and information center founded by parents of children and youth with all disabilities to help other parents facing similar challenges throughout Utah. The staff has built collaborative networks with education, health and human service professionals, agencies and organizations.
Medical Home Portal: A unique source of reliable information about children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), offering a “one-stop shop” for their: Families, Physicians, and Medical Home teams.
Pull Through Network: A forum of exchange of information among parents with common concerns in colorectal problems.
Hirschsprung’s and Motility Disorders Support Network: An online network of people and families with children who suffer from Hirschsprung’s disease and other gastrointestinal motility disorders. HMDSN also offers a group specifically for adults with motility disorders.
National recognition
Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's best children's hospitals in 11 of 11 pediatric specialties, including gastroenterology and GI surgery.
Frequently asked questions
We know navigating complex digestive conditions can feel overwhelming. These FAQs help answer common questions and guide your next steps.
You can start by finding a location or talking with your child’s care team about a referral. Our specialists, including pediatric colorectal surgeons, will help guide you to the right program and next steps for your child’s needs.
Our pediatric colorectal teams care for a wide range of bowel problems in children, including child constipation, irritable bowel syndrome in children, motility disorders, Hirschsprung disease, anorectal malformations, inflammatory bowel disease, and related concerns.
Children may benefit from pediatric colorectal care if they have ongoing constipation, stool accidents, abdominal pain, difficulty passing stool, delayed bowel function, or congenital colorectal differences. Families often search for answers about constipation in children when to worry or when care from pediatric colorectal surgeons may be needed. Early evaluation can help identify underlying bowel problems in children and improve long-term bowel health and quality of life.
Many pediatric colorectal conditions can be managed without pediatric colorectal surgery through personalized treatment plans that may include nutrition support, bowel management programs, medications, pelvic floor therapy, motility care, and ongoing monitoring. Our teams care for children experiencing child constipation, irritable bowel syndrome in children, and other digestive concerns, with a focus on improving function, comfort, and daily quality of life whenever possible.
Surgical care depends on the specific condition and your child’s needs. Pediatric colorectal surgeons may treat anorectal malformations, Hirschsprung disease, or other congenital colorectal anomalies using specialized pediatric colorectal surgery procedures designed to improve bowel function and support long-term development.
Some services may require a referral. Our team can help you understand what’s needed and coordinate next steps for children experiencing bowel problems, including constipated kids who may need specialty evaluation.
We care for infants, children, teens, and young adults with programs designed to support long-term and transitional care when appropriate. Our teams commonly help constipated kids and children with complex bowel conditions across every stage of growth and development.
Advancing research. Improving patient outcomes.
Participating and advancing research is critical to improving patient outcomes. Here are a few research programs we actively participate in:
- Hirschsprung's Disease Research Collaborative - A multi-institutional study investigating the genetics of Hirschsprung’s disease.
- Primary Children’s Hospital Colorectal Center Biobank - Tissue collection of patients with anorectal malformations and Hirschsprung’s disease for future genetic investigation.
- Colorectal Center Patient Registry - Patients with anorectal malformations, Hirschsprung’s, spina bifida, and idiopathic constipation. Collect surgical/patient data and long-term functional outcomes.
- Quality of Life Study - Patients with anorectal malformations, Hirschsprung’s, spina bifida, and idiopathic constipation.
- Utah Genome Project Partnership Grants Program – The genetic basis of Hirschsprung’s disease: identification of genetic interactions that explain the variable phenotype.
- Utah Population Database - A population-based study of the familial incidence of Anorectal Malformations and Hirschsprung’s disease. Describe incidence in a large population. Identify high risk families for genetic investigation.
Robot-assisted pediatric surgery
Learn how we are using minimally-invasive robot tools to make surgery better for children.
