II. Indications
- Constipation in Children over age 1 year
III. Precautions
- Dietary recommendations in Pediatric Constipation have changed over time
- Current guidelines focus on increasing fiber and fluids (after disimpaction protocol)
- Prior recommendations limited diet, but without evidence
- Milk products were eliminated and replaced wth non-milk products
- Foods labeled as "constipating" were eliminated (e.g. apples, bananas, jello, carrots, rice)
IV. Management: General Measures
- Increase Dietary Fiber as below
- Avoid Caffeine
- Encourage salads
- Encourage increased fluid intake
- Age 1 to 3 years old: 4 cups per day
- Age 4 to 8 years old: 5 cups per day
- Age over 8 years old: 7 to 8 cups per day
V. Management: Dietary Fiber
- See Dietary Fiber
-
General Fiber recommendations
- Increased fiber without adequate hydration may result in worsening Constipation (see fluid intake above)
- Unprocessed or minimally processed Dietary Fiber sources are preferred
- Give 14 g fiber per 1000 kcals (or at least 5 g/day + 1 g/ageY)
- Excess fiber above these levels does not improve Constipation
- Increase amount of bran in daily diet
- Unmilled bran or bran flakes
- Bran muffins
- Shredded wheat
- Graham crackers
- Oatmeal
- High fiber cookies
- Brown rice
- Whole wheat bread
- Cheerios
- Ralston or Wheetena
- Granola
- Add Bran flour to jelly, cereal, hamburger or casserole
- Child under age 6 years old: 2 heaping teaspoons
- Child over age 6 years old: 3 heaping teaspoons
- Encourage raw unpeeled fruits and vegetables tid
- Prunes, Figs, Dates, Raisins
- Peaches, Pears, Apricots
- Beans, Peas
- Celery
- Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cabbage
VI. Resources
- Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Constipation in Children (NIH NIDDK)
Images: Related links to external sites (from Bing)
Related Studies
Definition (CCC) | Impression of infrequent or difficult passage of hard, dry feces without cause |
Definition (CCC) | Difficult passage of hard, dry, feces |
Definition (MEDLINEPLUS) |
Constipation means that a person has three or fewer bowel movements in a week. The stool can be hard and dry. Sometimes it is painful to pass. At one time or another, almost everyone gets constipated. In most cases, it lasts a short time and is not serious. There are many things you can do to prevent constipation. They include
It's not important that you have a bowel movement every day. If your bowel habits change, however, check with your doctor. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases |
Definition (NCI) | Irregular and infrequent or difficult evacuation of the bowels. |
Definition (NCI_CTCAE) | A disorder characterized by irregular and infrequent or difficult evacuation of the bowels. |
Definition (NCI_NCI-GLOSS) | A condition in which stool becomes hard, dry, and difficult to pass, and bowel movements don't happen very often. Other symptoms may include painful bowel movements, and feeling bloated, uncomfortable, and sluggish. |
Definition (NAN) | Self-diagnosis of constipation and abuse of laxatives, enemas, and suppositories to ensure a daily bowel movement |
Definition (NAN) | Decrease in normal frequency of defecation accompanied by difficult or incomplete passage of stool and/or passage of excessively hard, dry stool |
Definition (CSP) | condition in which bowel movements are infrequent or incomplete. |
Definition (MSH) | Infrequent or difficult evacuation of FECES. These symptoms are associated with a variety of causes, including low DIETARY FIBER intake, emotional or nervous disturbances, systemic and structural disorders, drug-induced aggravation, and infections. |
Concepts | Sign or Symptom (T184) |
MSH | D003248 |
ICD9 | 564.00, 564.0 |
ICD10 | K59.0 , K59.00 |
SnomedCT | 162080004, 363693003, 162083002, 197123003, 139356000, 139359007, 139358004, 162082007, 14760008, 129585003 |
LNC | MTHU013416, MTHU013456, MTHU020768 |
French | CONSTIPATION, Constipation |
Portuguese | Constipação Intestinal, OBSTIPACAO, Obstipação, Prisão de Ventre |
Swedish | Förstoppning |
Japanese | ベンピ, 便秘症, 便秘 |
Czech | obstipace, zácpa, Zácpa |
Spanish | constipación subjetiva, constipación, SAI (trastorno), ESTRENIMIENTO, constipación, SAI, estreñimiento, SAI (hallazgo), estreñimiento, SAI, estreñimiento, SAI (trastorno), dificultad para evacuar el intestino, constipación (hallazgo), constipación, SAI (hallazgo), Constipation NOS, Constipación de Vientre, constipación, estreñimiento (trastorno), estreñimiento subjetivo (trastorno), estreñimiento subjetivo, estreñimiento, Estreñimiento |
Finnish | Ummetus |
Russian | ZAPORY, ЗАПОРЫ |
English | constipation (diagnosis), constipation, constipation (symptom), Constipation NOS, Constipation, unspecified, Constipation [Disease/Finding], rndx unspecified constipation (diagnosis), rndx perceived constipation, rndx unspecified constipation, rndx perceived constipation (diagnosis), constipating, constipated, constipate, difficulty defecating, Constipation symptom, Constipation (& symptom), Constipation (& symptom) (finding), Constipation NOS (finding), Constipation (finding), Costive symptom, Constipation NOS (disorder), Unspecified constipation, CONSTIPATION, Perceived Constipation, Unspecified Constipation, Perceived constipation, Constipation (disorder), Costiveness, Perceived constipation (disorder), Difficult passing motion, Difficulty defaecating, Difficulty defecating, Difficulty opening bowels, Difficulty passing stool, CN - Constipation, Constipated, PERCEIVED CONSTIPATION, fecal; retention, retention; fecal, Constipation |
German | VERSTOPFUNG, Obstipation, Verstopfung |
Korean | 변비 |
Italian | Costipazione, Stipsi |
Croatian | KONSTIPACIJA |
Polish | Zaparcie |
Hungarian | Obstipatio |
Norwegian | Forstoppelse, Treg mage, Hard avføring, Obstipasjon |
Dutch | faeces; retentie, retentie; faeces, constipatie, Obstipatie, Constipatie |