Constipation in children refers to the medical condition of constipation in children. It is a functional gastrointestinal disorder. Presentation
Children have different bowel movement patterns than adults. In addition, there is a wide spectrum of normalcy when considering childrens bowel habits. On average, infants have 3-4 bowel movements/day, and toddlers have 2-3 bowel movements per day. At around age 4, children develop an adult-like pattern of bowel movements (1-2 stools/day). Children benefit from scheduled toilet breaks, once early in the morning and 30 minutes after meals. The Rome III Criteria for constipation in children helps to define constipation for various age groups. Causes
While it is difficult to assess an exact age at which constipation most commonly arises, children frequently experience constipation 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 constipation. Fortunately, the majority of constipation 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 constipation. They are as a group uncommon with Hirschsprungs 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.
In the stage which infects fish, Anisakis species are found in a distinctive "watch-spring coil" shape. They are roughly 2 cm long when uncoiled. When in the final host, anisakids are longer, thicker, and more sturdy, to deal with the hazardous environment of a mammalian gut. Health implications
Anisakids pose a risk to human health through intestinal infection with worms from the eating of underprocessed fish, and through allergic reactions to chemicals left by the worms in fish flesh. Anisakiasis
Anisakiasis is a human parasitic infection of the gastrointestinal tract caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood containing larvae of the nematode Anisakis simplex. The first case of human infection by a member of the family Anisakidae was reported in the Netherlands by Van Thiel, who described the presence of a marine nematode in a patient suffering from acute abdominal pain. It is frequently reported in areas of the world where fish is consumed raw, lightly pickled, or salted. The areas of highest prevalence are Scandinavia (from cod livers), Japan (after eating sashimi), the Netherlands (by eating infected fermented herrings (maatjes)), Spain (from eating anchovies and other fish marinated in escabeche), and along the Pacific coast of South America (from eating ceviche). The frequency in the United States is unknown, because the disease is not reportable and can go undetected or be mistaken for other illnesses. Anisakiasis was first recognized in the 1960s. During the 1970s, about 10 cases per year were reported in the literature.