Detailed Answers to Our Constipation Quiz
Question 1
Which of the following are signs of constipation?
Answer:
Very large stools, skid marks in your child’s underwear, small hard stools (rabbit pellets), and the urgent need to pee are all signs of constipation.
Question 2
How often should kids poop?
Answer:
Children should poop every day. Some may advise that pooping every few days is “normal” for some kids and that pooping frequency is dependent on the child and all kids are different. Even though all kids are different this does not extend to pooping frequency. If a child eats every day then they should poop every day.
Question 3
Which of the following can reliably diagnose constipation? (emphasis on reliably)
Answer:
An abdominal X-ray and anorectal manometry are both reliable methods of detecting constipation.
An abdominal X-Ray can help a doctor determine if there is a mass of hardened stool in the lower intestine that would be very difficult for a doctor to feel. Also, many constipated children still may poop every day. While they may be having a bowel movement every day it is not a full bowel movement; their bowel does not fully empty.
An X-ray will provide more information to a doctor about whether there may be a blockage.
Anorectal manometry is a more precise way of detecting constipation. This procedure measures whether the rectum is stretched.
The procedure involves inserting a balloon into the child’s anus and then gradually inflated while a machine records the rectal contractions. In chronically constipated children, the rectum is so stretched out that the child may not be able to sense the balloon even when it’s fully inflated.
Question 4
If a child tends to poop more than once a day, which of the following is/are true?
Answer:
Some people think that it is not possible for a child to be constipated if they poop multiple times a day. However, pooping multiple times a day is a big concern and clearly a sign that the child is constipated. Make no mistake it is not a sign of “regularity.”
Pooping multiple times a day indicates that the child is not fully emptying when he or she poops.
Pooping multiple times each day does not mean that the child is getting plenty of fiber or eating too much.
Question 5
Chronic constipation can lead to which of the following?
- Poop accidents
- Bedwetting
- UTI (Urinary Tract Infections)
- Daytime peeing accident
- All of the above
Answer:
Chronic constipation can lead to all of these unfortunate situations (poop accidents, bedwetting, chronic UTI, and daytime pee accidents).
To a large degree, chronic constipation is often the main reason children develop these conditions and suffer through these situations.
When a child is constipated, stool lodges in the rectum, and the rectum can become stretched. An enlarged-stretched rectum can then press against and aggravate the bladder resulting in pee accidents.
Also, the rectum can become so stretched and insensitive that stool can fall out of the child’s bottom, without the child even noticing.
Question 6
Which of the following poop shapes are healthy and suggest a child probably isn’t constipated?
- Liquid-like
- Log-shaped but lumpy
- Hard and shaped like tiny rocks or pellets
- Shapes like a cow patty, thin snakes or frozen yogurt
- A nice big log
Answer:
Poop shaped like cow patties, thin snakes, or a frozen yogurt swirl suggests a child is not constipated.
There’s no such thing as a “nice” big log — big poop logs are a sign of constipation.
A child who has watery diarrhea may also be constipated as this may mean the child has a hardened mass of stool in the rectum and all that’s coming out is the more watery stool content that passes around the obstruction.
Poop Color
While making observations on the shape of the stool also note its color. The following chart will help you decide whether further discussion with your child’s pediatrician is warranted.
Chart sourced from healthline (www.healthline.com)
Question 7
What are some things to watch out for when giving an enema to your child at home?
Answer:
Dizziness.
Infusing the solution too fast may cause dizziness. Infusing the solution too quickly into the rectum may stimulate the vagus nerve and result in reflux dizziness and/or nausea.
This feeling is typically mild and also harmless and will resolve within 1 hour.
An enema will not cause a loss of small or loss of taste and have no impact on toe touching.
Question 8
What does it mean if poop is floating in the toilet bowl?
Answer:
The density of an item has nothing to do with its size.
Stools that are denser than the water will sink and if not denser than the water they will float.
Density is not affected by whether your child is fully chewing their food or gulping air when they eat.
Many things can cause floating stools. Most of the time, floating stools are due to what you eat. A change in your diet may cause an increase in gas. Increased gas in the stool allows it to float.
Floating stools may also happen if you have a gastrointestinal infection.
Floating, greasy stools that are foul-smelling may be due to severe malabsorption, particularly if you are losing weight. Malabsorption means your body is not properly absorbing nutrients.
Most floating stools are not caused by an increase in the fat content of the stool. However, in some conditions, such as long-term (chronic) pancreatitis, the fat content is higher.
It is good to make regular observations of your child’s poop. Any changes should be noted and if they persist then discuss this with your pediatrician.
We hope you found this quiz and the associated detailed answers to our constipation quiz helpful and valuable. Below you will find some additional references for you to learn more about constipation in children.
Additional References
The Scoop on Poop – 7 Answers to Common Questions
Anorectal Manometry (from Cleveland Clinic)
Identifying Your Poop: What to Look For
Is It Safe to Do an Enema at Home? 6 Risks
What to Know About Enemas (from WebMD)
How to Give a Child an Enema at Home (From Children’s Hospital Colorado)
Floating Stools (from Mount Sinai Health Library)
Mayo Clinic Q and A: Urinary Tract Infections in Children (from the Mayo Clinic News Network)