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Childhood Constipation
(GS003)

Introduction

The definition of constipation varies with almost every individual. The medical community tends to define it as infrequent bowel movements, while non-medical persons consider constipation to be the passing of hard stools or straining to have a bowel movement.

The colon (large intestine) absorbs water while forming waste products (stool) from digested food. Muscle contractions in the colon push the stool toward the rectum. By the time stool reaches the rectum, it is solid because most of the water has been absorbed.

Hard, dry stools and constipation occur when the colon absorbs too much water away from the stool. This can happen because the muscle of the colon contracts too slowly causing the stool to move through too slowly. There are many causes of constipation and there are often many factors leading to the problem. The treatment of constipation includes lifestyle changes, as well as medication, and rarely, surgery.

Constipation is a common complaint in children, occurring in up to 10% of youngsters. It accounts for approximately 3% of pediatric outpatient visits and 25% of visits to the pediatric gastroenterologist. Usually, constipation is a temporary problem in children, and no cause for concern. However, persistent constipation can cause a variety of complications including abdominal pain, anal fissures, urinary tract infection, perianal cellulitis, and mood disturbances.

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The Medifocus Guide on Childhood Constipation provides answers to the following important questions and medical issues:


What Your Doctor Reads:

This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:


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