Constipation in Children

Baby's First Year Milestones Slideshow

• Constipation in Children Overview
• Constipation in Children Causes
• Constipation in Children Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Constipation in Children Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Constipation in Children Overview

Constipation occurs commonly in children, affecting up to 10% at any given time. Still, only 3% of parents actually seek advice from the doctor for this condition. Constipation describes the infrequent passage of stools (bowel movements) or the passage of hard stools. Any definition of constipation depends upon comparison to how often the child normally passes stools and to the normal consistency of his or her stools.

Many children normally pass stools as far apart as every few days. Regardless, you should treat hard stools that are difficult to pass and those that happen only every three days as constipation.