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Constipation
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Constipation and Children
Constipation means that bowel movements are hard and dry, difficult or painful to pass, and less frequent than usual. It is a common problem for children, but it is usually temporary and no cause for parents to be concerned.
When a child does not eat enough fiber, drink enough liquids, or get enough exercise, constipation is more likely to occur. It also happens when children ignore the urge to have a bowel movement. Sometimes constipation is caused by medicines or a disease.
Constipation can make a bowel movement painful, so the child may try to prevent having one. Clenching buttocks, rocking up and down on toes, and turning red in the face are signs of trying to hold in a bowel movement.
Symptoms of Constipation Include
- No bowel movement for several days or daily bowel movements that are hard and dry
- Cramping abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Liquid or solid, clay like stool in the child's underwear, a sign that stool is backed up in the rectum
Although constipation is usually harmless, it can be a sign or cause of a more serious problem. A child should see a doctor if:
- Has more than normal episodes of constipation
- The child is unable to participate in normal activities
- Small, painful tears appear in the skin around the anus
- A small amount of the intestinal lining is pushed out of the anus (hemorrhoids)
- Normal pushing is not enough to expel stool
- Liquid or soft stool leaks out of the anus
Treatment for Child Constipation
Treatment depends on the child's age and the severity of the problem.
- Make sure your child gets enough fiber foods in their diet every day. Vegetables, fresh fruits (especially dried fruits) and whole wheat, bran, or oatmeal cereals are excellent sources of fiber. Children need different amounts of fiber at different ages. A child's daily fiber requirements can be calculated by adding five to the age of the child. For example, a seven year old child needs 7+5=12 grams of fiber daily.
- Make sure your child drinks enough liquids every day. It is very important to drink plenty of fluids to help pass the stool.
- Make sure your child gets enough exercise every day.
- Make sure your child does not ignore the urge to have a bowel movement, which they often do out of either embarrassment to use a public bathroom, fear or lack of confidence in the absence of a parent, or unwillingness to take a break from play.
- Sometimes constipation is caused by medicines or a disease. Always check with your childs doctor.
Sometimes a child may need an enema to remove the stool or a laxative to soften it or prevent a future episode. However, laxatives can be dangerous to children and should be given only with a doctor's approval.
Infant Constipation
- Over 2 months old, try 2-4 ounces of fruit juice (grape, pear, apple, cherry, or prune) twice a day.
- Over 4 months old, if the baby has begun solid foods, try baby foods with high fiber content (peas, beans, apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, plums, spinach) twice a day.
- DO NOT give laxatives or enemas to children without specific instruction from a doctor.
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References:
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
July 2007
digestive.niddk.nih.gov
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