Why is my child constipated?

There are a number of reasons why your little one may have trouble going to the toilet. Because constipation can be very painful and cause a lot of pain when children are trying to poo, this will often discourage them from wanting to go to the toilet again. The more it hurts the more a child tends to hold back, which in turn makes the constipation worse. Once a child is very constipated, they may not want to go to the toilet altogether.

A child’s diet can impact on their ability to go the toilet regularly, with too much milk also sometimes responsible for constipation. A diet lacking fiber which is contained in for example fruits, vegetables or cereal is often a reason for constipation as well. If your child is worried or anxious about something this can also affect their toilet habits¹, and if they are of school age they may not feel comfortable using public toilets due to concerns about privacy and cleanliness.