Is Your Child Constipated?

Do you feel like all you think about are your child’s bathroom habits? Know that you are not alone. Constipation affects up to 30 percent of children, most who are preschool age. Plus, anywhere from 3-5% of all visits to pediatricians are about constipation! Let’s talk about how to know if your child is constipated, even if they poop every day, and why you need to do something about it.

First, many of the parents who bring their children into our physical therapy clinic with issues like wetting the bed and pee accidents, racing to the bathroom to pee or poop, and recurrent UTI’s have a tough time understanding that the root of their child’s problem is likely constipation. Just because a child poops every day, does not mean that their bowels are functioning the way they need to! 

XXL poops, like are you sure that all came out of your little body poops, tell us that your child is backed up. In children, poops should be thin and soft to the point they are almost mushy. I like to tell kiddos their poops should look like snakes, not logs or rabbit pellets!

If your child was toilet trained and is now having poop accidents, it can be a sign that their rectum is overstuffed and stretched and their pelvic floor muscles can’t work any harder to help keep it all in! Going days without a bowel movement, or frequently pooping multiple times a day, can indicate that they are having a tough time emptying all the way. When they can’t empty all the way, they often have a tough time wiping until they are clean. This leads to skid marks, itchy bottoms, and recurrent UTI’s. 

Pelvic floor physical therapists are here to help if your child is struggling with any of these issues!