Treatment of constipation in children

The article is written by Professor, Doctor, Doctor Nguyen Thanh Liem - In charge of the High-Tech Unit for Autism and Cerebral Palsy treatment and Director of Vinmec Institute of Stem Cell Research and Gene Technology.

Constipation is quite common in children. The treatment of constipation in children requires a multidisciplinary approach by experienced professionals.

1. What is constipation? There are still many ways to understand and define constipation in children (Rome I, II, III...). However, children can be considered constipated when they have one of the following problems:
Number of bowel movements < 3 times/week Difficulty defecating or having to strain a lot Anal pain when defecating, sometimes blood around stools due to anal fissures Solid dry, loose stools Children may have additional symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, loss of appetite, fatigue, malnutrition, behavior changes, and mood swings. Constipation in children is severe, creating large, solid stools in the rectum that can cause false fecal impaction: sometimes a little loose stool escapes through the anus to dirty underwear.

2. What is the cause of constipation? Constipation can be caused by 2 groups of causes:
Constipation not due to physical disease: due to drugs, diet, environmental changes (starting school), dirty and smelly toilets, teachers do not allow When going to class, children try to hold back from defecation due to pain in previous bowel movements... Constipation is caused by an underlying disease such as hypothyroidism, nerve damage, non-neuronal disease of the colon wall. (colon enlargement due to absence of nerve cells), ectopic or narrowing of the anus, fibrosis of the exocrine glands.

3. What tests does my child need? Tests that may be required are:
Abdominal X-ray Contrast-enhanced colonoscopy Anorectal manometry Anosmogram Gastrointestinal tract Blood test: thyroid hormone quantification when suspected hypothyroidism Rectal biopsy

4. How to treat constipation? Treatment of constipation caused by physical disease Must be treated for diseases causing constipation such as drug treatment for hypothyroidism, surgery for congenital megacolon due to non-neuronal colon or anal malformation.
Treatment of functional constipation * Elimination of psychological factors, adverse environmental changes
* Diet

Eat a lot of fiber like fruits: plums, apricots, apples, eat vegetable soup. Avoid candies containing cocoa, fried foods, foods with a lot of sugar Drink lots of water. The amount of water according to body weight is as follows: 1-10kg: 100ml/1kg body weight 11-20kg: 1000ml +50ml/1kg body weight 20kg: 1500ml + 50ml/1kg body weight. Avoid carbonated drinks. Should drink plum juice, apple juice. Young children can drink anti-constipation milk. Create a habit of defecating at certain times of the day, encouraging the child. Medicines: -Laxatives have the effect of pulling water into the intestinal lumen to dilute stools. - Drugs that enhance intestinal motility. Stimulate bowel movements or relax the anal sphincter with electrical stimulation or biofeedback.
To properly identify the cause of symptoms and properly treat them, parents should take their children to medical facilities for accurate examination and advice. You also need to make adjustments to both diet and activities so that your child can quickly improve his constipation. Parents' attention, care and understanding will contribute to helping the symptoms of constipation in children no longer be a fear of both children and parents.
Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the leading hospitals in the country for examination, diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases, especially in infants and young children. With modern equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread. Along with that is the dedication from the doctors with professional experience with pediatric patients, making the examination no longer a concern of the parents.
To visit with experienced pediatricians at Vinmec. Please make an appointment at the website to be served.