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Quiz: What's Your Constipation IQ?

By Kelly L. Phillips

By its simplest definition, constipation is what happens when you poo fewer than three times per week. As a parent, this can be bewildering, and to a child, painful, embarrassing, and difficult to deal with.

We spoke with pediatric gastroenterologists, specialists who look past the “yuck” factor of dealing with poo and have made it their mission to help children maintain healthy bowel habits. Samuel Nurko, MD, of Boston Children’s Hospital and Paul Hyman, MD, chief of pediatric gastroenterology at Children’s Hospital, in New Orleans, help weigh in on what’s going on down below.

Some children poo more than once a day, others only three times a week, and newborns go either constantly or hardly ever—so what's considered healthy?

Once a day is typical for children age 2 on up.

Anywhere from three times a day to three times a week is completely typical for children age 2 on up.

There's no average amount of bowel movements a child should have--as long as they feel okay and aren't having accidents such as leakage.

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Quiz: What's Your Constipation IQ?

Question 1 of 10

Some children poo more than once a day, others only three times a week, and newborns go either constantly or hardly ever—so what's considered healthy?

Once a day is typical for children age 2 on up.

Anywhere from three times a day to three times a week is completely typical for children age 2 on up.

There's no average amount of bowel movements a child should have--as long as they feel okay and aren't having accidents such as leakage.