Constipation is a fairly common problem in children. There are many reasons why children may become constipated, including diet and lifestyle – such as eating high fat and low fiber foods (including junk food and soft drinks), not drinking enough water during the day, and a lack of exercise due to too much screen time. Small infants may be constipated during the period of complementary feeding.
Some other causes of constipation could be:
- Not wanting to use public bathrooms
- Starting a new school and making new friends, which may be stressful for some children
- Struggling through the toilet training period
- Being so engrossed in watching TV or playing that they forget to go to the bathroom, or they hold in their bowel movements, causing constipation
Some children may have medical causes leading to constipation such as:
- Neurological conditions like cerebral palsy
- Problems with the intestinal tract, such as Hirschsprung’s disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Side effects from medicines
- Cow milk protein allergy
- Celiac disease
The symptoms of constipation in children include:
- Passing stools fewer than three times a week
- Hard, difficult to pass stools
- Pain while passing stools
- Blood covering the surface of hard stools
How to prevent constipation in children:
- Offer foods that are high in fiber
- Encourage your child to drink an adequate amount of water and fluids (but avoid too many carbonated drinks and juices)
- Encourage your child to exercise everyday – keep a regular time slot in the morning or evening for exercise, even if only for 20 minutes. Join in on the activity and make it interesting, so that your child is encouraged to continue every day
- Maintain a routine for the toilet – make your child sit on the toilet for at least 10 minutes, preferably twice a day. This should be after meals if possible. Do not shout while you are trying out this routine, as this can lead to children holding in their stool. They may then have an ‘accident’ which may lead to embarrassment for them. If your child starts to fight toilet time, stop the training for a few days. In the meantime, talk to your child about the importance of toilet training, using tools such as educational videos
- Review any medications that your child is taking which may be causing constipation
- If your child continues to have constipation, visit a medical practitioner
Here is a selection of foods high in fiber:
- Whole wheat bread, bran cereal, oatmeal, lentils, chia seeds, and flax seeds (aalas)
- Vegetables such as beetroot (chukandar), broccoli, pumpkin, carrots, green beans, peas (matar kosa), spinach(saag), potatoes, sweet potato (sakharkhanda), avocado, and sprouts (gedagudi)
- Fruits such as apples, papaya (mewa), dates (khajur), strawberries, and prunes (aalubokhara)
Some foods to avoid to prevent constipation are:
- Large quantities of cow milk
- Frequent consumption of red meat (without accompanying vegetables)
- Fast food and junk food
- Unripe bananas (whereas ripe bananas have been noted to relieve constipation)
- Persimmon (haluwabaed)
Writer details:
Dr. Neema Shrestha is a Pediatrician at Grande International Hospital with a special interest in the field of Neonatology and received her fellowship in Neonatology degree in 2017. She has since then been working in NICU at Grande International Hospital. She shared the vision to treat each child as an individual with care and compassion and help them become healthier individuals. She is also a mother to two beautiful daughters. She has also served as a tutor for the Sydney Child health program in 2019-2020, helping medical graduates to become better child care advocates.
