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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf your child's constipation lasts longer than two weeks, you'll likely first seek medical care from your child's doctor. If necessary, the doctor may refer your child to a specialist in digestive disorders (gastroenterologist).
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared. Here's some information to help you get ready and know what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your child's diet.
- Write down any symptoms your child is experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment. It's also a good idea to write down your child's signs and symptoms. Record the date your child's constipation started and any other coinciding events. Include notes about stool frequency and appearance, as well as what and how much your child eats and drinks.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements that your child is taking. Let your child's doctor know what steps you've taken to try to treat your child's constipation.
- Write down questions to ask your child's doctor.
Your time with your child's doctor may be limited, so preparing a list of questions ahead of time will help you make the most of your time together. For constipation in children, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What's the most likely cause of my child's symptoms?
- Are there any other possible causes?
- What kinds of tests does my child need?
- How long might this condition last?
- What treatments do you recommend?
- Do I need to make any changes to my child's diet?
- Should we see a specialist?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
- Can this problem be treated without medication?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- When did your child first begin experiencing symptoms of constipation?
- Have your child's symptoms been continuous or occasional?
- How severe are your child's symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your child's symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to worsen your child's symptoms?
- Do you see blood with your child's bowel movements, either mixed in with the stool, in the toilet water or on the toilet paper?
- Does your child soil his or her underwear?
- Does your child strain with bowel movements?
- Does your child have a family history of digestive problems?
- Has your child started any new medications or changed the dosage of current medications?
- Can you describe your child's toilet-training experience?
What you can do in the meantime
There are several things you can do that might help relieve your child's constipation before your doctor's appointment, for example:
- Give your child prune juice. Add a little prune juice to your infant's breast milk or formula bottle. For older children, prune juice can be mixed with other juices if your child doesn't like the taste of prune juice. It's also important to make sure that toddlers and older children are drinking sufficient water. Babies meet their liquid requirements through breast milk or formula.
- Cut back on constipating foods. Give toddlers and older children fewer foods that might lead to constipation, such as milk and cheese.
- If able, take your child for a walk or run. Regular physical activity can encourage bowel movements.
- Ease up on toilet training. If you suspect that toilet training may be playing a role in your child's constipation, take a break from toilet training for a bit to see if the constipation improves.
- Constipation in children. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/sec20/ch283/ch283f.html. Accessed July 15, 2011.
- Kay M, et al. Common gastrointestinal problems in pediatric patients. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gihealth/pdf/pediatric.pdf. Accessed July 15, 2011.
- Constipation in children. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/constipationchild/index.htm. Accessed July 15, 2011.
- Ferry GD. Treatment of chronic functional constipation and fecal incontinence in infants and children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 15, 2011.
- Ferry GD. Constipation in children: Etiology and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 15, 2011.
- Pijpers MA, et al. Currently recommended treatments of childhood constipation are not evidence based: A systematic literature review on the effect of laxative treatment and dietary measures. Archives of Diseases In Childhood. 2009;94:117.
- Blackmer AB, et al. Constipation in the pediatric patient: An overview and pharmacologic considerations. Journal of Pediatric Health Care. 2010;24:385.
- Culbert TP, et al. Integrative approaches to childhood constipation and encopresis. The Pediatrics Clinics of North America. 2007;54:927.
- Walia R, et al. Recent advances in chronic constipation. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2009;21:661.
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