Intestinal obstruction in children is a broad topic because it has several causes.Some causes are from birth and present soon after the baby is born.Others occur later on. Hirschsprung's disease is one of the causes of intestinal obstruction in which a part of the intestine does not work because some "nerves"on that part are not there from birth.

However most cases just happen as a result of error during the formation of the intestines in the womb before the baby was born. Others could be due to abnormal twisting of the intestines or one segment entering into the other and becoming tight etc.