Idiopathic constipation. This is common. The word idiopathic means of unknown cause. Various factors may be involved (discussed later), but many children become constipated for no known reason.◦Short bouts of constipation. It is common for children and babies to have a bout of mild constipation for a day or so. This may settle quickly, often without the need for medical treatment.
◦Long-term constipation. In about 1 in 3 children who become constipated, the problem becomes more long-term (persistent). This is also called chronic idiopathic constipation.
Tests are not normally needed to diagnose idiopathic constipation.
What causes idiopathic constipation?
As mentioned, idiopathic means that there is no disease or known cause for the constipation. However, it is thought that various factors may contribute to constipation developing, or make it worse. These include diet, stool holding and emotional factors..
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Diet
Dietary factors that may play a part in constipation are:.
•Not eating enough foods with fibre (the roughage part of the food that is not digested and stays in the gut).
•Not having enough to drink.
Stools tend to become harder, drier, and more difficult to pass if there is little fibre and fluid in the gut..
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Stool holding
This means the child has the feeling of needing the toilet, but resists it. The child holds on to the stool, trying to ignore the desire to empty the bowels. This is quite common. You may see your child crossing their legs, sitting on the back of the heels, or doing similar things to help resist the feeling of needing the toilet. Your child may clench his or her buttocks to try to stop the stool from coming out, and may seem quite fidgety. You may notice smudges of stool on your child's pants, often when they are unable to hold on any longer. The longer the child holds on, the bigger the stool gets. Eventually the child has to go, but the large stool is more difficult to pass, and often more painful. This may lead to a bit of a vicious cycle where the child is even more reluctant to open his or her bowels the next time. There are a number of reasons why children may hold on to stools:.
•A previous stool that they passed may have been a struggle or painful. So, they try and put off doing it again.
•Their anus may be sore or have a crack (anal fissure) from passing a previous large stool. It is then painful to pass further stools. So, the child may resist the urge to pass a stool.
•They may have a dislike of unfamiliar or smelly toilets, such as at school or on holiday. The child may want to put things off until they get home.
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Emotional problems
Constipation problems may be made worse with upset due to change in surroundings or routine. Common examples are moving house and starting nursery. Potty training may be a factor if a child becomes scared of using the potty. Fears and phobias are usually the underlying reasons for these problems.
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