A 6‐year follow‐up study of chronic constipation and soiling in a specialist paediatric service

Abstract

A significant number of children presenting to a specialist paediatric clinic continue to have problems for several years. Further research is needed to identify these cases and to identify which factors promote resolution of the problem.

A Multicenter Study on Childhood Constipation and Fecal Incontinence: Effects on Quality of Life

“…It is noteworthy that constipation is regarded by some medical providers as a self-limited condition, 35,38 and that misconceptions still exist regarding etiologies, natural history, and therapeutic options (eg, concerns for laxative habituation). 39,40 The mean PedsQL scores for the constipated subjects aged >8 years in the present study are comparable with those reported by other studies of children with chronic constipation, 21,37,41 but worse than those reported for patients with type 1 diabetes, malignancies in remission, cardiac disease, and transplant recipients.…”

“…As reported previously, our study supports the findings that fecal incontinence continuing into the teenage years, and in some cases even adulthood, is likely to have greater, long-term adverse effects on psychosocial and emotional health. [33][34][35] Although adolescents with fecal incontinence had worse physical functioning as measured by the PedsQL subscale, the FDI showed no significant difference between the 2 groups. This discrepancy could be related to the fact that the PedsQL measures more strenuous activity than the FDI.…”

Idiopathic slow transit constipation is rare

“…There is evidence of associations of chronic constipation with a number of systemic disorders, primarily neurological in nature [5,6]. While the largest individual group in the constipation clinic is probably those with chronic simple constipation due to faecal withholding, there are a significant number, perhaps half, who do not respond to simple laxative and behavioural measures, and are symptomatic again years later [7] . If we accept the worst interpretation, that all those lost to follow up in our clinic were still symptomatic, then we still have a ''cure'' rate of over fifty percent.…”

Contrast enema as a guide for senna-based laxatives in managing overflow retentive stool incontinence in pediatrics

“…About 30 % of Dutch children continue to have ORIS throughout adolescence. These children live with a condition which affects their quality of life as much or more than chronic inflammatory bowel disease [13,14]. Childhood constipation has a significant effect on the use of medical care services, resulting in a cost of $3.9 billion/ year in the United States [15].…”