Constipation in children is a growing world problem

Children can develop constipation for a number of reasons. They are mostly all very benign reasons and no cause for alarm by the parent. Inadequate hydration or fiber intake can be a cause of constipation.

Children who are potty training can feel pressure to go and hold it for too long causing them to develop constipation. The same thing can happen to older children who become so involved in playing that they do not want to take time out to go to the bathroom.

Constipation is another common digestive system condition that affects many children. As parents, your job is to try and alleviate this frustrating situation and I want to help you to accomplish this. I have a different perspective on childhood problems compared to other practitioners. This comes from my clinical experience as a pediatrician and from my current private practice in alternative/energy medicine.

There are different definitions in some dictionaries it's defined as a condition in which bowel emptying occurs infrequently or in which the stools are hard and small or where bowel movement causes difficulty or pain.

Doctors prefer using a practical working definition such as the irregular bowel movements (passage of stool ) less than 3 times a week , frequently associated with difficulty, straining and discomfort during defecation.

Constipation in children may develop for various reasons, but most of them are quite harmless. If children are short of fluids or fibre in their diets, or they are feverish, then constipation may become a short-term illness. Some toddlers that feel pressurized to be potty-trained as well as children who become so engrossed in play they forget to go to the toilet are vulnerable to developing constipation.

Many times, a child will have the urge to have a bowel movement, and will ignore it in order to continue a more interesting activity. With this postponing of the urge, the stool remains in the colon, water is reabsorbed back into the colon, and the stool becomes dry and difficult to pass. This causes discomfort for the child, so more postponing takes place in order to avoid the discomfort of passing a constipated stool.

When a child is having constipation, they find it not only difficult to go but feel the urge and still cannot relieve him or herself once at the potty.

Once the stomach acid takes care of the food, it is then passed on to the smaller intestines and then on to the large intestine... these are known as bowels.

Research has shown that probiotics, those friendly bacteria that prevent harmful microorganisms from building up in the body and poisoning it, can help prevent constipation by aiding in the proper digestion of food and nutrients and maintaining a healthy ratio of good to bad intestinal bacteria in the gut.