While it is difficult to assess an exact age at which<unk>  most commonly arises, children frequently suffer from<unk>  in conjunction with life-changes. Examples include: toilet training, starting or transferring to a new school, and changes in diet. Especially in infants, changes in formula or transitioning from breast milk to formula can cause<unk> . Fortunately, the majority of<unk>  cases are not tied to a medical disease, and treatment can be focused on simply relieving the symptoms. Congenital causes A number of diseases present at birth can result in<unk> . They are as a group uncommon with Hirschsprung’s disease (HD) being the most common. HD is more common in males than females, affecting 1 out of 5000 babies. In people with HD, specific types of cells called ‘neural crest cells’ fail to migrate to parts of the colon. This causes the affected portion of the colon to be unable to contract and relax to help push out a bowel movement. The affected portion of the colon remains contracted, making it difficult for stool to pass through. Concern for HD should be raised in a child who has not passed stool during the first 48 hours of life. Milder forms of HD, in which only a small portion of the colon is affected, can present later in childhood as<unk> , abdominal pain, and bloating. Similar disorders to HD include anal achalasia and hypoganglionosis. In hypoganglionosis, there is a low number of neural crest cells, so the colon remains contracted. In anal achalasia, the internal anal sphincter remains contracted, making it difficult for stool to pass. However, there is a normal number of neural crest cells present. There are also congenital structural anomalies that can lead to<unk> , including anterior displacement of the anus, imperforate anus, strictures, and small left colon syndrome. Anterior displacement of the anus can be diagnosed on physical exam. The disease causes<unk>  because the inappropriate positioning of the anus which make it difficult to pass a bowel movement. Imperforate anus is an anus that ends in a blind pouch and does not connect to the rest of the person's intestines. Small left colon syndrome is a rare disease in which the left side of the babies colon has a small diameter, which makes it difficult for stool to pass. A risk factor for small left colon syndrome is having a mother with diabetes. Some symptoms that may indicate an underlying disease include: * Bowel movements that contain blood. * Severe abdominal bloating. * Peri-anal fistula * Absent anal wink reflex * Sacral dimple * Failure to thrive
Constipation in children
Allergies in children
Chest pain in children
Chronic diarrhea of infancy
Other specified feeding or eating disorder
Brainerd diarrhea
Unspecified feeding or eating disorder
Black stomach