But what’s normal for you isn’t necessarily going to be what’s normal for your child. If they have a bowel movement just once or twice a week, for example, does this mean they’re constipated, or simply that their digestive system is on a different clock from yours? It’s not uncommon for a child to become constipated, but at the same time, how often they need a poopy diaper changed or head to the bathroom on their own isn’t the best indicator. Here’s what parents need to know about kids’ bowel movements
Kid Poop: A Primer
Children’s bowel movements evolve with age and differ according to diet. For example, a breastfed newborn may have as many as seven or more very loose stools each day, while an infant who’s being given formula may have somewhat firmer stools much less frequently. Because normal can differ so dramatically from child to child, if you’re worried about your kid’s bathroom habits, it’s more helpful to look for changes in their personal patterns than to compare them to your own or those of your other kids. If your child goes from having two bowel movements a day to just twice a week, it could be a sign something’s wrong.
Know When There’s a Problem
A better indicator a child may be constipated than how often they go to the bathroom is what their stools look like. If they’re soft and formed, it’s doubtful they’re constipated—even if they poop only every two or three days. But if their BMs are large and hard, they have trouble passing them, and it hurts when they do, most likely they’re constipated. Sometimes, the effort to push out a hard poop can cause tiny tears in a child’s anus, so a bit of blood can be normal as well. The same is true if their stool looks like little balls or pellets.
Evading Encopresis
One potential complication of painful bowel movements parents should be aware of is a condition called encopresis. Children withhold their stool for a number of reasons: because it hurts them to poop, they are resisting being potty-trained, or they’re uncomfortable using the bathroom away from home. In these cases their bowel movements can become so hard and so large that they simply can’t go. Instead of having real BMs, less formed stool may leak out around the build-up, which parents may mistake for an actual bowel movement or as soiling. If constipation is severe, it could affect a child’s appetite and subsequent weight gain. In addition, the nerves in a chronically stool-filled rectum can lose some of their sensitivity. While generally reversible with treatment, this decreased sensation may make it difficult for constipated children to get the internal cues that prompt a trip to the bathroom.
A Word From Verywell
The sooner a child who’s truly constipated gets help, then, the better. If you think this is the case for your kid, see the pediatrician. Relief may be just some extra dietary fiber, in the form of more fruits and vegetables, or a supplement.
