Updated May 13, 2013.
Q. My 2 yr. old recently suffered an intussusception and a subsequent recurrence and it was reduced via 5 barium enemas in all. This was a very traumatic experience on our family because she ended up going into shock and had to be airlifted to UCDavis in California at the time.
This was a few months ago and although there was no suspected lead point, I continue to live in fear of it coming back. I monitor her bowel movements every day and often give her a gel enema if she hasn't gone for a couple of days to make sure she is not blocked.

It is consuming me. My question is, is the spot where her bowel folded now a "weak spot" of you will, i.e., is it likely to attract lymph nodes again next time she has a respiratory virus, or should I just figure now that she is 2 1/2, it is unlikely to ever come back. Traci, Raleigh, NC

A. An intussusception can cause younger children to have repeated episodes of colicky abdominal pain and vomiting. These episodes typically occur every 10-20 minutes and the child may appear normal in between episodes, although later on, they become lethargic.

In addition to pain and vomiting, children with intussusception may have diarrhea, which after 12-24 hours contains blood and mucus and becomes the classic 'currant jelly' stool.

Intussusception is the most common form of intestinal obstruction in younger children and it usually occurs in children between the ages of 3 and 12 months and is rare after age 3.

Treatment is usually be either an air or contrast enema or surgery.

Although most children do very well if they are treated early, there is a 3-11 percent chance of recurrence.

While there is a chance that your daugther will have another recurrence, there is an even greater chance that she won't, especially as she is reaching the age when intussusception becomes less common.

Also keep in mind that if she does have another recurrence, you will likely recognize it early and get it quickly reduced.

If you remain overly worried about this, you might get a recheck by a Pediatric Surgeon or GI specialist to make sure everything is going well.