What are the signs and symptoms of constipation?
• Abdominal (belly) pain, discomfort, or cramping. • Hard, dry BMs. No BM for two or three days, or fewer BMs than your child normally has. Your child may “soil” his underwear. You may find liquid or solid BM that leaked onto your child’s underwear. Your child’s BMs may also be much larger than they usually are. • Pain while having a BM. Your child may cry while trying to pass the BM or say that it hurts to have a BM. Your child may not be able to pass the BM with pushing or straining. Many days may pass without your child having a BM. • Tearing around the rectum. Constipation may cause small tears that bleed near the rectum (rear end). These tears may be caused by your child trying to push out the BM. You may notice small amounts of bright red blood on the toilet tissue or the BM. These tears should heal without medicine. A diaper rash may also cause your child to have pain while having a BM. Your child may not want to have a BM because of the sore rash on his bottom. • Upset stomach
