A lower water intake is associated with a higher risk of constipation in children.2
Childhood constipation arises from a combination of biological, dietary, and psychosocial factors that disrupt normal intestinal motility. Among dietary factors, inadequate water intake and insufficient dietary fiber are the primary contributors. Boilesen et al. conducted a systematic analysis of 6 studies that evaluated water and/or fluid intake as a possible risk factor for intestinal constipation.2
A total of four studies identified a link between low fluid intake and intestinal constipation. In contrast, two other studies observed lower fluid intake among children with intestinal constipation, but the difference was not statistically significant.2
Comas Vives et al. (2005)
898 children (mean age: 6.7 years)
• Intake of 4–8 glasses of water: 0.42↓ in risk of constipation
• Consuming >8 glasses of water: 0.17↓ in risk of constipation
Chan and Chan (2010)
383 school children aged between 8 and 10 years
• Consuming 3–4 glasses of fluid per day (OR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.05–0.34)
• Consuming five or more glasses (OR: 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03–0.18)
Chien et al. (2011)
1426 students aged between 10 and 18 years
• Low daily intake of fluids (<1.8 L, OR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.07–1.43), is associated with an increased risk of bowel frequency <3 times a week.
Park et al. (2016)
212 children aged between 25 and 84 months
• Intake of ≤500 mL of water (OR: 9.9, 95% CI: 0.9–99.5) is a strong predictor of intestinal constipation in children.
Based on the results of these studies, increased fluid and/or water intake may be effective in preventing and managing mild intestinal constipation.2
PEG can be mixed with a beverage of child’s preference such as water, milk, or fruit juice, which can in turn help increase child’s fluid intake.1
Abbreviations ▼
CI: Confidence interval; OR: Odds ratio; PEG: Polyethylene glycol.
References ▼
1. Pashankar DS, Loening-Baucke V, Bishop WP. Safety of polyethylene glycol 3350 for the treatment of chronic constipation in children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157(7):661–664. 2. Boilesen SN, Tahan S, Dias FC, et al. Water and fluid intake in the prevention and treatment of functional constipation in children and adolescents: is there evidence? J Pediatr (Rio J). 2017;93(4):320–327.
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