Difficulty with producing a bowel movement, or infrequent bowel movements.

Constipation, a condition that can affect the human digestive system at any stage of life, is rarely serious or chronic. Because bowel functions vary from individual to individual, the individual's own normal pattern should be taken into consideration when constipation is suspected. For this reason, it is important for parents and caregivers to be familiar with the bowel patterns of their infants and young children. Although constipation may cause considerable discomfort, a return to normal bowel function is usually accomplished within a day or two.

Constipation is caused when the muscles at the end of the large intestine restrict the fecal material from passing through and out of the body. A tendency toward constipation seems to be hereditary. The longer the fecal material is "stalled" in the large intestine, the drier it becomes, making it more difficult and...