Functional constipation – the importance of diet in the pediatric population

Functional constipation is a common problem among the children of all age and generally resolves with changes in diet or behavior or sometimes with specific medication. Functional constipation in children has a pathophysiology that involves many factors. Often, avoiding defecation follows a painful bowel movement or a difficult colonic transit time. Some data showed that functional constipation may be related to genetic factors, low socioeconomic sta­tus, affected mobility or poor fiber intake. Regarding diet as­so­cia­tion, constipation is more frequently seen in chil­dren with low fruit, vegetables and cereal daily intake. The pre­sent guideline for the management of pediatric pa­tients with functional constipation provides a synthetic opi­nion upon evaluation and treatment possibilities. Now­a­days we cannot manage children’s constipation only by me­di­ca­tion, but there is a gap between clinical practice and scien­ti­fic evidence considering lifestyle and diet benefits.