Pattern and clinical presentation of constipation in children in Sudan

Abstract

Background: Constipation represents a common problem in children. The worldwide prevalence of functional constipation in children varies from 0.7% to 29.6%. The aim of this study is to identify common causes of childhood constipation, clinical profiles of functional constipation.
Methods: all children less than 16years old who suffered from constipation and attended Gaafar Ibnaouf specialized children hospital and gastroenterology private clinic of one pediatric gastroenterologist between June 2011 and May 2012 were included in this study. Patients were
considered having functional constipation if there were no objective evidences of pathological condition, and the rest were termed as organic constipation.
Results: a total of 150 children suffered from constipation were seen. (81males), the age was divided into three groups, the majority 96 (64 %) aged between 1-5years, and the least were 12 (8%) aged less than 1year.133 children (88.7%) had functional constipation, while the remaining 17 children (11.3%) had an associated organic disorders, among them 12 children (8%) had Hirschsprung’s disease, 2children (1.3%) had hypothyroidism, 2 children (1.3%) had celiac disease,
and 1child (0.7%) had cerebral palsy. The main clinical characteristic of functional constipation were faecal impaction presented in 59.4% of patients, straining in 43%, withholding behavior in 32.3%, soiling in 16.5%, abdominal pain in12% of patients.
Conclusions: Functional constipation is the most common cause of constipation in Sudanese children.

Keywords: functional constipation, hypothyroidism, Hirschsprung.