Video - Pediatric constipation: Clinical

Constipation in children is a decreased stooling frequency or increased difficulty of passing stool, as compared to a child’s baseline.

Normally, full-term neonates pass meconium, which is the very first stool within the first 48 hours of life. Premature neonates, meaning those born before the start of the 37th week of gestation, can take a bit longer. After that, during the first three months of life, infants have about two to four stools a day. By the age of two years, toddlers generally have one or two stools per day. And by age four, children typically have one stool per day. Management depends on the cause and can involve stool disimpaction through the rectum, laxatives, stool softeners, enemas, and intake of fiber-rich diets, fluids, and physical activity.