Child
constipation is frequent in younger
children often because they are fearful of
the pain that can be associated with having
a bowel movement after being constipated.
It
becomes a vicious circle as your child might
choose not to have a bowel movement out of a
fear of pain, hence causing further
constipation.
The definition of
constipation is a condition in which bowel
emptying occurs infrequently or in which the
stools are hard and small or where a bowel
movement causes pain.
Constipation can be
caused by a diet low in fiber, a lack of
routine such as training to have a daily
bowel movement, insufficient liquid intake,
and inactivity. All of these can be a real
issue in children and a challenge for
parents.
Children often associate
having a bowel movement with pain and then
fear can actually over take their ability to
have a routine bowel movement.
It is
important to help your child become aware of
the urge to defecate and then it is equally
important to teach your child to respond to
that urge immediately. Training your child
to respond to the urge will help them to
associate the urge they feel with actually
having a bowel movement.
Consistently
responding to the urge to defecate will help
to avoid child constipation. Sometimes
children are playing and simply forget to
respond to the feelings of their body which
can lead to constipation.
If your child is
experiencing constipation and you are
concerned they are experiencing fear
associated with having a bowel movement,
then sit and talk with them about having
regular bowel movements.
Child constipation can be
prevented by increasing fiber intake, adding
extra fruits and vegetables into the diet
and helping your child to train their body
to have regular bowel movements.
Also, when
working to avoid child constipation,
encourage your child when attempting to have
a bowel movement, not to hurry and sit on
the toilet for a few minutes, regardless if
they have not been successful in having a
bowel movement. This simple act can help to
potty train your child and lead to
successful attempts at having a bowel
movement.
There are many different
types of treatment to help with child
constipation such as over the counter
laxatives, prune juice and enemas. All of
these treatments can be used after working
with your pediatrician to make sure that
there are no other problems besides child
constipation.
If these treatments do not
help in obtaining regular bowel movements it
is best that you seek further instructions
from your healthcare provider on how best to
proceed with your child.
With your guidance and
consistency, you child can express success
with having routine bowel movements. Don't
let your child's fear of pain with a bowel
movement, distraction from the feelings in
their body or poor dietary habits lead to
child constipation.
