Dear Doctor;My baby’s rectum or something like that recently came out while he was easing herself. Some elderly women in the village helped ‘put’ it back but they said these things some time happen to children but cease as they grow. Is that possible? What could that have been? The child is three years old. Worried Mother.Dear Worried Mother, A rectal prolapse, ie rectum coming out, is indeed frightening for the affected person as well as onlooker. In the majority of cases, children and toddlers develop rectal prolapse because of constipation and subsequent straining to pass stool. The pink beefy appearance is because of the rich blood supply of the inner lining of rectum. Few children can get it because of cystic fibrosis, which is a genetic disorder causing lung problems and rectal prolapse.Ideally, if constipation can be prevented in a child by giving stool softeners, lukewarm water and mild glycerin suppositories, this condition can also be prevented. When the rectum comes out, it can be gently pushed inside. If one finds it difficult to do, help of a medical personnel can be taken. Usually as a baby’s bowel movements become organised and he grows up, the problem subsides. But if it is more frequent, ie more than two to three times every week or more difficult to push inside, corrective surgery can be planned by the doctor. Cystic fibrosis also needs to be excluded by clinical examination and tests.