Changes in children’s schedules as they head back to school may lead to problems with constipation.

The hurried pace of morning preparations for school may leave a child without time for a bowel movement, and restrictions on bathroom breaks during school may cause the same problem.

Other reasons children may become constipated once school starts include:

• Embarrassment about using public bathrooms
• Stress induced by school
• Lack of opportunity to exercise

Once constipation occurs, it can become a recurrent problem. Children who have painful bowel movements due to hard stools may be more likely to try to avoid bowel movements and thus continue the cycle. Eventually, a situation can develop where the intestines can no longer sense the presence of stool.

Gastroenterologists on the medical staff at Children’s see many cases of recurring constipation, which is among the top three reasons parents bring their child to a GI specialist at the hospital.

Pediatric motility center
Children’s is the first university-affiliated hospital in Texas to support a pediatric motility center of excellence. The new center opened Sept. 1 in the Children’s Medical Center Dallas Ambulatory Care Pavilion.

One of a handful in the U.S., the center exists to diagnose and treat severe constipation, as well as abdominal pain and swallowing difficulties using state-of-the-art equipment and testing.

Leading the center’s efforts is Dr. Rinarani Sanghavi. She said the center will provide an “all-round approach” to diagnoses and treatment.

“There is an increasing need for these services all over the country,” she said, “and we now can bridge the gap between necessity and availability at Children’s.”

For more information, contact the Gastroenterology service at Children’s at
214-456-8000 or toll-free at 800-568-8937.

Resources:
Children’s Medical Center