Hirschsprung disease in the offspring of mothers exposed to hyperthermia during pregnancy.

Interview data for events of pregnancy on 40 infants with Hirschsprung disease showed a significant relationship to a history of hyperthermia in the mother in the first trimester, during the time of embryonic development and migration of ganglion cells along the intestine. In order to eliminate maternal recall bias, a control group consisted of 41 malformed infants with congenital limb deficiency. Hyperthermia may be one factor contributing to the cause of some cases of Hirschsprung disease.