pediatrics
Constipation in Children
Treatment of Constipation in Children
Specific organic causes of constipation should be treated. Functional constipation is ideally initially treated with Dietary changes Behavior modification Dietary changesinclude adding prune juice to formula for infants; increasing fruits, vegetables, and other sources of fiber for older infants and children; increasing water intake; and decreasing the amount of constipating foods (eg, milk, cheese). for older children involves encouraging regular stool passage after meals if they are toilet trained and providing a reinforcement chart and encouragement to them. For children who are in the process of Toilet Training , it is sometimes worthwhile to give them a break from training until the constipation concern has passed. suppository is typically adequate. For maintenance of healthy bowels, some children may require over-the-counter dietary fiber supplements. These supplements require consuming 32 to 64 oz of water/day to be effective ( see Table: Treatment of Constipation ). 