Children's constipation service

Who are we?

The Children's Constipation Service is a nurse-led service which treats, advises and supports children and their families with a diagnosis of childhood idiopathic constipation. The service follows the NICE and locally written guidelines on childhood idiopathic constipation.

Our services

We offer appointments in our clinic which is held every Wednesday afternoon at Stepping Stones, Malinslee and also offer telephone support to families. We can liaise with Schools and Nurseries to provide information and support for the children and their families.

The people we see

The Children's Constipation Services sees infants and children from six months up to their 18th birthday who have idiopathic constipation as their primary diagnosis and also have a GP based in Telford & Wrekin and have been on medication for the treatment of constipation for more than 6 months.

New patients

Children who meet our criteria will have an initial appointment, this will take about an hour where we will take a detailed history and carry out a physical examination. We will then provide patients with written information and a care plan to take home.

Existing patients

Once your child's constipation has been addressed in the first instance, we will keep assessing the child regularly to ensure further bouts of constipation do not occur. This will include advising them on their diet, taking medicine and toileting habits.

Services we do not offer

We do not offer services to:

• Infants under six months of age.
• Newborns, infants and children who have constipation with a known cause.
• Children who have a primary diagnosis of soiling with no constipation, the School Nurses/Health Visitors would see these children.
  
  

What you should bring with you

For an initial assessment you can bring along any charts or food diaries that you have been keeping so we can assess if the diet may be a factor in the condition.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my child constipated?

It is not fully understood but contributing factors include pain, fever, dehydration, dietary and fluid intake, psychological issues, toilet training and family history of constipation. Some medications may also cause childhood constipation.