Conditions
Constipation
Constipation is a common condition in kids and there can be many different causes – emotional as well as physical. As a parent, the problem is easy enough to spot in babies and young children, but older kids may be reluctant to admit they have constipation. Awkward and uncomfortable though it is, constipation itself is rarely a symptom of anything more serious, and with a few changes in lifestyle or diet, it’s usually easily treated.
The first thing to note is there is no such thing as a completely ‘normal’ toilet habit. Some children poo two or three times a day. For some it’s once a day, or even every other day. Constipation means they find gong to the toilet difficult or painful, and when they do go, they only manage to pass a few small, hard stools. It’s often accompanied by tummy ache, a lack of energy and being in a bad mood. In babies and young children constipation can actually appear as diarrhoea, as the bowel gets overloaded and causes kids to soil themselves.
So what causes constipation? One of the commonest reasons is a lack of fibre in the diet or being dehydrated. It can also be that, for a variety of reasons, children deliberately resist going to the toilet when they need to. If they are away from home or in an unfamiliar environment (at school for example), if they recently found going to the toilet particularly painful, or if there’s some other form of anxiety associated with defecating, kids may deliberately ‘keep it in’.
Short term or temporary constipation usually passes naturally, but the condition can be eased by making sure your child has plenty of fibre in their diet (lots of fresh fruit and veg, pasta, rice and potatoes, and a regular intake of fluid will generally keep constipation at bay.) If the condition is chronic – ie, it lasts a long time – your doctor can prescribe a course of laxatives. As parents, the key is to keep an eye on your child’s toilet habits and take note of any significant changes.
Comments and Questions
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
hello ive have a 9 year old daughter who has suffered since birth with being constipated, she will go 7 -10 days without going!!! the doctor just fob us of with movicol which will work but gives her tummy ache and the runs !!! she can be so tired and moody which is no surprise ...
My 2 year old has been complaining of a bad back, headache and has been very frustrated and miserable for weeks now also he has been constipated for over 2 months and the past few days very tired, I have taken him to the doctors a few times and they say he's just run down and has a little bit of viral infection but he never seems to get better and he is always Ill should I worry?
my 3year old little girl has always had a problem doing a poo,she can go for over a week sometimes without doing one and will never do it on the toilet or potty only with a nappy on,she takes lactalouse and other things for constipation but still will hold it in,sometimes she will try and sqeeze but it wont happen as i guess its stuck,what do i do??
My 4 and a half year old boy will not always go to the toilet when he needs a poo,if he needs to go he will do a bit in his pants and then stop it, if we put him on the toilet he will not finish his poo, he could be like this for a couple of days until he eventually goes, or he will do it all in his pants! He does not do this all the time, he will go to the toilet ok for a couple of weeks then he will go in his pants for about two weeks, it has been this cycle since we started potty training him 2 years ago. We have tried all sorts to encourage him to go to the toilet but nothing has worked. Is it something we are doing wrong?
hi my name is Amanda smith ive a 2 year old son who is suffering with constipation is there anything i can give him to help him to go to the toilet AS IT IS FRUSTRATING NOT BEEN ABLE TO HELP HIM THANK YOU .
hi my daughter was very constipated for a very long time, nothing seemed to work, she was in so much pain it was awful. i was advised to stop cows milk and try goats instead. i really didnt hold out much hope, but the transformation in a couple of weeks was not far short of miraculous. she is never constipated now also she used to be quite croupy and this has completly gone. its worth a try. i shared this advise with a friend whos child had similar problems recently and the effect was the same for her child also. hope this helps
thanks for replyin to my message il give it a try cause my poor little mite is still suffering thanks very much
my daughter has never been a regular going for a poo but it has never got this bad.she is 6 years old and still in pull ups day and night...this has been going on for a few years now were she will go a long time without going to the toilet..i mean its the 25th of january now the last time she had a solid bowel movement was december before christmas.the doctors have prescribed pessaries..movicol ..lactalose all of them just give her the runs..when it first stated she wud go 1week plus ithout bowel movement then that ud be it for another few weeks wereb as now its just been constant soiling..i have sat with her on the loo to c if that wud help..ive gave her books wich helped once..i gave her potty wich worked once now we are trying ds on loo so she has something to take her mind if it but its not helping..this is so distressing as i know how i feel wen i cant go..sometimes she dosent want to eat or eats very little and says she is full an complains of feeling sick wich is understanable...doctors say keep giving her laxactives it will work...how long can u leave ur child with the runs before enuf is enough ? so stressful an worrying i just want my daughter to feel her self again..any suggestions or tips gratley appreciated thanks !!
hi my son is 16months, constipation started after i weaned off formula to cow milk,i've been giving him lactulose but only helps for a few days.i don't know what to try next someone please help
hi my son is 28months old and has suffered since he was born and got worse when he started weaning.it is a nytmare he has been admitted to hospital twice for enemas he has now been given movicol 4 sachets a day it is his fourth day and still hasent had a bowel movementich has been 12 days now.how long does this movicol take to work?we are pulling our hair out he isnt eating sleeping his tummy is so swollen his in agony.
C0uld y0u pls help mt s0n is 3 half and has autism n sens0ry pr0blems. He has suffered with server c0ntipati0n all is life. A l0t 0f the time n0t g0ing f0r a p00 f0r 4 weeks at a time. He can be 0n up t0 10 sach 0f m0lvic0l a day. I'm fed up 0f d0ct0rs saying it c0z 0f his autism and they w0nt d0 n0 test 0n him. C0uld u pls help. Kerry
My 3 year 0ld b0y suffers with sever c0ntipati0n all his life. At time he d0esnt g0 4 a m0nth at a time. We can be 0n up 10 sachets 0f m0lvic0l a day t0 get his b0wels m0ving because 0f this he d0nt eat much. My b0y has autism , sens0ry pr0blems. I'm sick 0f pe0ple saying its c0z 0f his autism
Important Notice
The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.
If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here