Tackling childhood constipation and soiling with a macrogol laxative
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Watch our short 15 minute video to find out what to do.
Note that all information on macrogol doses refers to the paediatric preparations of macrogol, which can be obtained as regular repeat prescriptions from your GP.
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Childhood constipation service
Children call us 'The Poo Nurses'. We're the Childhood Constipation Service at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust. We're based at Darent Valley Hospital and also take referrals from Queen Mary Hospital, Erith & District Hospital and all over the South East.
On this website you will find links to other useful sources of information. There are also the guidelines for the maintenance regime and a disimpaction regime and a copy of the Bristol Stool Chart for you to download.
Dr Shahinul Khan, Consultant Paediatrician at Dartford and Gravesham NHS trust, says: "Chronic constipation is something we're seeing far too often in our hospital clinics these days. It is something that can be dealt with effectively by parents with the help of their GPs."
This project was the winner of the Nursing Times Award 2017 for 'Continence promotion and care'
Information for Health Professionals
NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) have issued guidance and quality standards [QS62] for the diagnosis and management of constipation of unknown cause in children and young people. It includes the following quality statements:
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Constipation in children and young people
Quality standard [QS62] Published date: May 2014
List of quality statements
- Statement 1. Children and young people with constipation receive a full assessment before a diagnosis of idiopathic constipation is made.
- Statement 2. Children and young people with idiopathic constipation receive oral macrogols as first-line treatment.
- Statement 3. Children and young people with idiopathic constipation starting disimpaction therapy have their treatment reviewed by a healthcare professional within 1 week.
- Statement 4. Children and young people with idiopathic constipation starting maintenance therapy have their first treatment review by a healthcare professional within 6 weeks.
- Statement 5. Children and young people with idiopathic constipation starting laxative treatment, or their parents or carers, receive written information about laxatives.
- Statement 6. Children and young people with idiopathic constipation that does not respond to initial treatment within 3 months are referred to a healthcare professional with expertise in the problem.
NICE Endorsement
We received the following endorsement of this resource from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Tackling childhood constipation and overflow soiling using a macrogol laxative
This video and hosting page accurately reflect recommendations in the NICE guideline on constipation in children and young people. They also support statements 1–6 in the NICE quality standard for constipation in children and young people.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
January 2019
Further tools and resources for health professionals from the relevant NICE guidelines:
