A toddler suffered extreme, untreated constipation that caused vomiting, weight loss and severe pain, with medical staff estimating 2kg of his 10kg body weight was stool. Hospital admissions for children with constipation and related symptoms in England reached over 44,000 in 2023-24, a ten-year high. Around 1.5 million UK children experience constipation, and charities report increased helpline demand as schools resume. Lack of dedicated bladder and bowel community services forced repeated A&E visits in some areas. Cultural reluctance to discuss toileting and some healthcare professionals underestimating severity contribute to delayed diagnosis and treatment.
"It's a huge problem and many healthcare professionals don't consider it a serious issue in children," said Davina Richardson, a children's specialist nurse with the charity. "Discussing wee and poo is very un-British. It's not something that we as a culture do."
"completely robbed of his toddler years"
"It was horrific," Elissa said. "He was so frail he couldn't lift himself up or do anything. "He was in pain all the time and either screaming or just lying there because he was too weak."
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