Let’s get things straight
How we treat constipation
There are two stages of treatment.
If the poo is really stuck your doctor will want to get it out. Doctors call this disimpaction.
Then, you have to keep using the medicine to make sure that the constipation doesn’t start again. You will also have to help your child to eat well, make sure they drink and exercise. Doctors call this maintenance.
Disimpaction MaintenanceChildhood constipation is very common.
About one in three children get constipated from time to time. In most cases, there are no underlying neurological conditions, but doctors find that some things can cause a child to hold in the poo.
Dr Pritchard explains in 2 minutes:
Why does constipation start in children?
A change in normal routine can cause children to start holding in their poo, for example starting preschool or potty training.
Passing a painful poo can also put small children off from going to the toilet. The longer they hold it in, the harder and drier it gets, and then it hurts when it comes out. This causes children to hold on even more.
But what’s the problem with being constipated?
The longer children are constipated for, the more the bowel stretches, making it more difficult to go for a poo regularly.
Unfortunately, this can cause children to lose sensation in their bum hole, and it happens that they soil themselves without knowing.
As parents, it’s important to deal with constipation as soon as we see it happening. If we don’t deal with it, it will only get worse.
Good resources to understand more:
The Pooper Highway (ERIC) ↪ The Poo in You (Children's Hospital Colorado) ↪What do we do about it?
Your doctor will prescribe laxatives to make to poo softer. They will also tell you how to help your child to go to the toilet regularly.
It’s important to get on top of it now!
You want to get your child going for regular poos again. When the bowel is emptied regularly, it gives it time to return to its normal size and stretchiness.
How we treat constipationHow long before my child is going for regular poos by themself?
It depends on how long the child has been constipated for.
It can take some time for the bowel to unstretch, this can be almost as long as the child being constipated for.
The way to make this happen is to keep giving the laxative and encouraging regular poos.
When will I start seeing results?