Toddlers make at least a bowel movement once a day. Usually, a child who has a bowel movement fewer than three times a week and whose stools are large, hard, dry, painful and difficult to pass is constipated. Constipation is normal once in a while but if it lasts for two weeks or more it’s called chronic constipation, and you should see your paediatrician.
How to know your toddler is constipated
- Stomachache
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- General crankiness
- Crying or screaming during bowel movements
- Avoiding the toilet
- Smears or bits of liquid stool in the diaper or underwear
- Large-diameter stools that may obstruct the toilet
- Pain while having a bowel movement
- Abdominal pain
- Blood on the surface of a hard stool
Why is my child getting constipated?
- Drinking too much milk
- Eating too many other low-fibre foods
- Toilet anxiety
- Dehydration
- Lack of activity
When can I see a doctor?
Constipation in children usually isn’t serious. However, chronic constipation may lead to complications or signal an underlying condition. Take your child to a doctor if constipation lasts longer than two weeks or is accompanied by:
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Blood in the stool
- Abdominal swelling
- Weight loss
- Painful tears in the skin around the anus (anal fissures)
- Intestinal protrusion out of the anus (rectal prolapse)
References
- Babycenter. Constipation. Accessed on 15th October 2018.
- Mayoclinic. Causes of constipation. Accessed on 15th October 2018.
- WebMD. Constipation. Accessed on 15th October 2018.