|
The following factors to do with your child’s diet and lifestyle can increase their likelihood of getting constipation:
- Dietary factors
- Holding in stools – painful poo
- Changes in daily routine
- Not enough exercise
- Constipation in your family
- Certain medicines
It is important to remember that these risk factors will differ from child to child and a combination of factors may be involved in each individual case.
Dietary factors
Not drinking enough water or eating enough high fibre foods makes stools harder, drier and more difficult to push out (this is explained later in the section)
Drinking too much milk (i.e. more than one pint per day) can make toddlers full up and stop them from eating enough solid food. If they don't have enough bulky food in their bowels, they may not get the urge to poo. Bottle-fed babies are more likely to get constipated than breastfed babies
Behavioural factors
Putting off going to the toilet for a poo can increase your child’s chances of getting constipated. About 1 in 5 children start to hold in stools when they begin potty training
Changes in daily routine such as going on holiday, moving house, changing schools or changing type of formula milk can cause constipation in your child
Lifestyle factors
Lack of physical activity can cause your child’s bowel to become more sluggish and lead to constipation
Family history
Constipation in your family can increase your child’s risk of becoming constipated
Medicines
Some medicines can cause constipation, such as codeine, certain cough medicines, anticonvulsants (medicines to control seizures), antihistamines
(medicines for treating allergies) and iron supplements
|