Constipation in the child

What is he?

Constipation in the child It is a decrease in the frequency of emission of feces, they are usually hard and scarce and require great effort to evacuate, causing pain in most cases.

There is no normal number of stools in the child. Each individual has their own depositional habit. In the child it can be normal from one to three times a day, up to three times a week. Family trend plays an important role.

We can say that a child is constipated when they have less than two stools a week, with a very hard consistency and causing pain when evacuating.

Cause of constipation in the child

Constipation in children is not usually due to major problems. It is usually called functional or idiopathic constipation (there is no known cause or disease that produces it) in which the influence of several factors such as diet and family predisposition intervene. It is also common to find situations that trigger it, such as the change from to, the introduction of cow's milk or porridge. New situations to which the child has to adapt, such as the beginning of schooling, can trigger a decrease in bowel movements.

In all cases there is a retention of stool in the intestine, its consistency is hard and its emission is painful. Fear of pain causes the child to retain stool. With all this, the intestine is dilating and each time a greater volume of stool is needed for the child to feel the need to defecate. In short, a vicious cycle is established that perpetuates constipation.

Complications of constipation

The most frequent complications are:

• Abdominal pain: it occurs because air and feces are retained in the intestine.
• Wounds or produce pain and bleeding when evacuating.
• Encopresis: they are involuntary leaks of stool in children older than 4 years. Stool leaks are liquid and can be mistaken for diarrhea. However, these losses are caused by "overflowing" above the retained faeces.
• Repeated urine infections: it is much less frequent.

Treatment

The treatment of constipation is not a matter of a day, it requires time and a dose of patience on the part of the parents. The improvement is not immediate and the treatment must be maintained for a long time. In most cases it requires a change in habits and a modification of the diet.

The child's bowel rhythm should be "reeducated" and the diet changed. The first step is to treat any injury or fissure in the anal area with healing or anti-inflammatory ointments. To "re-educate" the habit of defecation one must get the child used to going to the bathroom, even if they don't feel like it, at the same time and, conveniently, after meals to take advantage of the gastrocolic reflex that stimulates defecation.

The diet should be rich in fiber and the child should drink plenty of water. Fiber helps form softer stools and promotes bowel movement. The foods richest in fiber are: legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The Pediatrician must assess in each case if the child needs a fiber supplement. For any query you want to make, the Insurance has a 24-hour Medical Guidance service.

Enemas and laxatives should only be used if the constipation is long-standing, with significant retention. Its use must be indicated by the Pediatrician. In children with chronic constipation they can be used for a season.

Rectal stimulation with glycerin thermometers or suppositories should not be used routinely.

Warning signs

There are a series of symptoms that should alert us to constipation and that should be evaluated by the Pediatrician:

• Constipation associated with loss of weight and appetite.
• Constipation that does not improve with the usual measures.