Typical signs

Not always easy to know if a child is really constipated. Some will naturally have a bowel movement every day, others much less often, as adults, but are not so far wrong. The task for parents is further complicated by the fact that the child does not necessarily reflect the particular complaint. The diagnosis is difficult, and only the doctor can decide, especially that “children are more tolerant of different constipation symptoms than adults,” said Dr. Florence Compeotto, a gastroenterologist at the Necker Hospital in Paris.

The doctor will therefore seek a set of typical symptoms.

The stools should be less frequent than usual for at least a month.

The child must have a bowel movement within two or three times a week.

The expulsion of the stool is hard and painful.

It is often the victim of encopresis, that is to say, uncontrolled fecal leakage.

He regularly complains of abdominal pain and may have swollen belly.

Constipation is relatively common in children: it is estimated that for nearly 30% of them at some point in their lives. Unlike adults, it is more common in boys than in girls. Continue reading →