Last year, more than 44,000 children were admitted to a hospital with constipation.
Data from England and Wales reveal that hospital diagnosis for primary school constipation has increased by 60% over the past decade, and is also increasing in preschool and secondary age groups. Experts say there is a need for greater awareness of the physical harm and misery that can be caused by the condition.
“Many children should not be treated for constipation in hospitals,” said Professor Monicara Campol, consultant pediatrician at Whittington Health NHS Trust and University College London. “It's hidden. People feel very embarrassing about it. People think they've done something wrong as parents and don't ask for early help.”
She added: “This isn't a small thing for a child. “This creates school holidays, physical issues, emotional issues.”
Constipation is very common in children and often begins during potty training. Include the cause if it is not caused by the underlying medical condition Not eating enough fiber, dehydration, anxiety about going to the toilet, broader emotional issues.
If not dealt with this early, children can fall into a vicious cycle of fear of going to the bathroom, leading to chronic constipation. This involves treatment with laxatives (sometimes several months) and toilet training to establish normal intestinal habits.
“It can cause stomach pain or vomiting. Or you can get tears when you're trying to push too hard. Some people say they're constipated or It gets dirty at school because it has a stinky breeze.
NHS admission data have shown a significant increase in primary and secondary diagnosis of constipation in hospital patients in England and Wales over the past decade. The diagnosis of patients aged 0-16 increased from 29,087 in 2014-15 to 44,161 in 2023-24. The most significant increase was seen in children aged 4-11, from 9,977 in 2014-15 to 16,973 in 2023-24.
The number of patients admitted to hospitals, primarily due to constipation, did not increase. So it is unclear whether the overall rate is rising or whether a higher awareness means that more cases are being featured in children in hospitals for other reasons . Some clinicians said they are seeing more cases, including children who start school before they get toilet training, poverty, food insecurity, children and more.
“Constipation in children is on the rise. From that national diet survey, fiber intake is not appropriate and coupled with food poverty and the costs of living crisis will affect children.” Dietary therapy. “Many food banks say that humble potatoes, a good source of skin fiber, are not taken because people can't afford the energy costs to cook them.”
McManamone said the health effects can be severe. “It can cause diverticulum disease, bleeding, as well as discomfort and headaches, which can affect the child, for example, focusing on school,” she said. “It's important to talk, especially for the most vulnerable people in society.”
Juliet Rayner, chief executive of education and resources to improve childhood power, a child's bowel and bladder charity, said that some families struggle to get GP appointments and health. It said that fewer visitors would not be able to help until the problem lingers. “In an ideal world, you can't introduce constipation in A&E,” she said. “They should look at their GP.”
In a recent survey suggesting one in four children starting schools in England and Wales are not trained to toilets, teachers are increasingly at the forefront of teaching healthy toilet habits. Masu. However, the school is not set up for this role. And in some cases, strict rules can make your anxiety worse.
Some secondary schools lock toilets outside break time and one school in Wales Reportedly, metal shutters are installed to restrict accessa recent report by Eric explained that students must navigate “one one” toilet policy.
“To have a positive toilet habit, you need to access the toilet when you need to go,” says Lakhanpaul. “If schools are structured to be scared of kids raising their hands, that's useless.”
