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What is constipation?

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Constipation is fairly common and affects most people at some point in their lives. It can be an ongoing (chronic) condition or a temporary problem.

Constipation occurs when stools become hardened and difficult to pass. Some people may be concerned about the frequency of their bowel movements because they have been taught that healthy people should have a bowel movement every day. This is not true.

If your stools are soft and pass easily, you are not constipated.

As with adults, the frequency of children's bowel movements varies from child to child. New-born babies can pass loose, runny stools a couple of times a day or only once a week. Breastfed babies may have frequent stools and may even have a stool with every feed.
As babies grow older, the number of daily bowel movements usually decreases, and the size of the stools increases.
It is important for parents to realise that there are many "normal" patterns for bowel movements in children. Sometimes children's faeces turn red and they appear to strain to pass a stool, but if the stool is soft and the child has no other problems, this is not a concern.

Most children will occasionally become constipated. Usually this is only a short-term problem requiring home treatment. However, some children are frequently constipated (chronic constipation).

Reviewed by Dr Saville Furman, MBChB MFGP (SA). Family Physician, Part time lecturer in family medicine and primary care at UCT, Red Cross Children’s Hospital and Groote Schuur hospital, Cape Town.

Previously reviewed by Dr P.H.S. van Zijl, MBChB. MMed (Int)

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