Understanding Constipation in Kids: What Parents Need to Know

Understanding Constipation in Kids: What Parents Need to Know

If your child is struggling with constipation, you’re not alone. Constipation is one of the most common digestive problems in children, and while it might seem like “just a poo problem,” it can affect much more than you think—including bladder health, behaviour, and confidence.

Let’s take a closer look at what constipation in children really is, why it happens, how it can impact both bladder and bowel health, and how physiotherapy can play a big role in helping.

What is constipation in kids?

Constipation doesn’t just mean “going less often.” In children, constipation is usually defined as:

• Infrequent poos (less than 3 times per week),
  

• Passing hard, painful, or large stools, or
  

• Having difficulty pushing poo out.
  

Some children may also have soiling (leakage of poo into underwear). This isn’t laziness—often it happens when hard poo builds up in the bowel, and softer poo leaks around it.

Why does constipation happen?

Kids can become constipated for many reasons, including:

• Withholding: sometimes children avoid going because they’ve had a painful poo in the past, or they don’t like using certain toilets.
  

• Diet: low fibre, not enough water, or too much processed food.
  

• Routine changes: travel, starting school, or stress can all affect bowel habits.
  

• Toilet habits: rushing, poor posture, or not sitting on the toilet long enough.
  

• Medical factors: less commonly, constipation may be linked to conditions like coeliac disease, allergies, or neurological issues.
  

Once constipation starts, it can easily turn into a cycle: the longer poo stays in the bowel, the drier and harder it becomes, which makes passing it more painful—so the child avoids going, and the cycle continues.

How Constipation Affects Bladder and Bowel Health

Constipation doesn’t just cause tummy aches. It can also impact the bladder and lead to ongoing issues such as:

• Daytime accidents or urgency: a full bowel can press on the bladder, making it harder for a child to hold wee.
  

• Bedwetting: research shows constipation is strongly linked to night-time wetting. Treating constipation alone can improve bedwetting in many children.
  

• Urinary tract infections (UTIs): incomplete bladder emptying due to bowel pressure can increase the risk of infections.
  

• Soiling and leakage: stool build-up can cause overflow accidents, which are distressing for both child and parent.
  
  

In short—healthy bowels are key to healthy bladders.

How physiotherapy can help

You might not immediately think of physiotherapy for constipation, but paediatric pelvic health physiotherapists are specially trained to support children with bowel (and bladder) concerns. Here’s how we can help:

• Toileting posture & technique
  Showing your child how to sit properly on the toilet (often with a footstool) so their muscles can relax and poo comes out more easily.
  

• Pelvic floor awareness
  Helping children learn how to relax the muscles around the bladder and bowel (sometimes these muscles stay too “tight,” making it hard to empty properly)

• Routine building
  Setting up healthy toilet habits, like sitting on the toilet after meals when the bowel is naturally more active.

• Bowel massage & abdominal techniques
  Gentle, evidence-based massage techniques can sometimes help move stool along and reduce discomfort.

• Education & support
  Working with the whole family to understand constipation, break the withholding cycle, and take the stress out of toileting.

• Bladder health connection
  Because constipation and bladder problems often go hand in hand, physiotherapists assess and support both. This can make a huge difference if your child has bedwetting or frequent accidents.

When to seek help

If your child:

• Has ongoing constipation despite changes at home,

• Experiences painful poos or blood in the stool,

• Has regular soiling or bladder accidents, or

• Seems anxious or distressed around toileting…
  

…it’s a good idea to seek support from your GP and a paediatric pelvic health physiotherapist.

The bottom line

Constipation in children is common—but it shouldn’t be ignored. It can cause a ripple effect of bladder, bowel, and emotional concerns if left untreated. The good news? With the right strategies, most children improve quickly.

Physiotherapists can guide families through practical, child-friendly steps that make pooing easier, healthier, and less stressful—for everyone involved.

✨ Supporting your child’s bowels means supporting their overall confidence, health, and independence.

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