What are the symptoms of constipation in children?
Disease description:
My daughter hasn't had a bowel movement for the past two days. I'm worried she might be constipated and would like to know what symptoms are associated with childhood constipation.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhou Xiaofeng
Symptoms of constipation in children mainly include the following aspects:
1. Hard stools: The child's bowel movements become hard and dry, differing from the normal soft or paste-like stools.
2. Difficulty with defecation: The child may strain during bowel movements, exerting full-body effort and turning red in the face, yet still fail to pass stool successfully.
3. Reduced frequency of bowel movements: Compared to usual, the number of bowel movements is significantly decreased.
4. Abdominal discomfort: The child may experience symptoms such as bloating and abdominal pain, which may improve after defecation or passing gas.
5. Other symptoms: Long-term constipation may also lead to complications such as anal fissures, hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, as well as decreased appetite, bad breath, and nausea.
