Toddler Constipation: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
Toddler Constipation: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
Toddlers are, by nature, a finicky bunch. Their moods and whims can change on a dime.
Even something as basic as going to the bathroom can get tricky. While some toddlers go to the bathroom every day like clockwork, other kids can go two, three, or even more days without having any bowel movements.
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Seeing an empty toilet day after day might fill parents with panic, but constipation in toddlers isn't usually a sign of any serious disease. Most often it's caused by a problem that's easy to solve, like diet or ignoring the urge to go.
So how do you know if infrequent bathroom visits are normal for your child, or if you really have a constipated toddler? Read on to find out when toddler constipation is a problem, and how to treat it.
The average toddler (if there is such a thing) makes a bowel movement once a day. Usually, a child who has a bowel movement fewer than three times a week (or less often than he typically does), and whose stools are hard and difficult to pass, is constipated. Also, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, any child with stools that are large, hard, dry, and accompanied by painful bowel movements, soiling between bowel movements, or blood on the outside of the stool may have constipation.
Don't be worried if your child has a bout of constipation -- it's perfectly normal once in awhile. But if your toddler's constipation lasts for two weeks or more it's called chronic constipation, and you should see your pediatrician.
Your doctor may ask you to keep track of your child's bowel movements -- how often they occur, how big and hard they are, and if there is any blood in your toddler's stool. You should also look for other symptoms that can occur along with constipation, such as:
Even something as basic as going to the bathroom can get tricky. While some toddlers go to the bathroom every day like clockwork, other kids can go two, three, or even more days without having any bowel movements.
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With more recent horrifying headlines about heparin drug errors harming children — and even tragically taking the lives of two babies at a Texas hospital — WebMD recently sat down with Dennis and Kimberly Quaid.How are their 10-month-old twins, Thomas Boone and Zoë Grace, doing today, now that almost a year has passed since the 11-day-olds were twice given a potentially lethal dose of the blood thinner? What worries the actor and his wife most about their future health? And what successes and ...
Read the How Are the Quaid Twins Doing? article > >
Seeing an empty toilet day after day might fill parents with panic, but constipation in toddlers isn't usually a sign of any serious disease. Most often it's caused by a problem that's easy to solve, like diet or ignoring the urge to go.
So how do you know if infrequent bathroom visits are normal for your child, or if you really have a constipated toddler? Read on to find out when toddler constipation is a problem, and how to treat it.
Is My Toddler Constipated?
The average toddler (if there is such a thing) makes a bowel movement once a day. Usually, a child who has a bowel movement fewer than three times a week (or less often than he typically does), and whose stools are hard and difficult to pass, is constipated. Also, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, any child with stools that are large, hard, dry, and accompanied by painful bowel movements, soiling between bowel movements, or blood on the outside of the stool may have constipation.
Don't be worried if your child has a bout of constipation -- it's perfectly normal once in awhile. But if your toddler's constipation lasts for two weeks or more it's called chronic constipation, and you should see your pediatrician.
Your doctor may ask you to keep track of your child's bowel movements -- how often they occur, how big and hard they are, and if there is any blood in your toddler's stool. You should also look for other symptoms that can occur along with constipation, such as:
- Stomachache
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- General crankiness
- Crying or screaming during bowel movements
- Avoiding the toilet (signs that your child is doing this include clenching the buttocks, crossing the legs, turning red, sweating, or crying)
- Smears or bits of liquid stool in the diaper or underwear (soiling)
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