Constipation In Children – What You Need To Know
It is very common for children to experience constipation. Usually, the causes are insufficient intake of fluids, lack of fiber, and too much intake of constipating foods such as milk, cheese, bananas and many others.
Symptoms of Constipation in Children
Often, children with constipation may have either have very large hard stools or hard pellet like stools. Children may also have infrequent and painful bowel movements. They may also experience cramping abdominal pain in addition to having pain when they pass a bowel movement.
How to Diagnose Constipation in Children
In general, children are diagnosed with constipation after a careful history and physical exam however it is not usually necessary to have further testing.
It is vital to give careful attention to children who have had severe constipation from birth, most especially if they did not pass meconium stools until 2-3 days after they were born as these children might have Hirshsprung’s disease.
Constipation Treatment In Children
Usually, treatments for child constipation includes stool softeners and changing child’s diet to less constipating foods and incorporating more fiber and fluids.
Apples, prune juice and soy milk for older children are good choices of fluids. Always read food labels as this can help you find high fiber foods.
Here’s what you need to know about constipation:
When a child is having soft bowel movements, then she is not constipated, even if she doesn’t have one every day.
There are some children with severe constipation who have already been toilet trained that develops reflexive withholding of stool which often may cause them to leak stool into their undergarments called the involuntary fecal soiling or encopresis.
Not like laxatives, colon cleansers and stool softeners are not usually addictive and can be given when necessary. More often than not, parents make a common mistake of stopping the use of stool softeners once a child starts to have soft bowel movements as this may cause the child to develop constipation again before long.
The use of stool softeners is recommended for 4-6 months however it should be decreased to prevent reoccurrences.
Laxatives should not be frequently used to help your child have bowel movement.
Apart from change in diet and stool softeners, children may need colon cleanse. Colon cleansing is safe for children especially when they have severe constipation.