In the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics (1), researchers estimated the use and cost of medical services related to chronic children's constipation. Using two years of consecutive data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, it was estimated that more than 1.7 million U.S. children (1.1%) suffered from constipation during the time frame. Worldwide, the prevalence of constipation is between 1% and 30%.

Children in the study who experienced constipation used more health services than children without constipation, leading to healthcare costs of three times that of children without constipation:

Annual Cost Per Child For Healthcare Services:
Child with constipation: $3,430
Child without constipation: $1,099

The estimated impact of constipation is an additional $3.9 billion in healthcare costs.

While the treatment of acute constipation includes behavioral and dietary changes and the use of laxatives, chronic constipation requires long-term management which may extend beyond puberty.

The authors acknowledge that the study may underestimate the actual burden of childhood constipation because of decreased quality of life, undiagnosed constipation, dietary changes, over-the-counter laxatives and a variety of other considerations.

(1) Liem 0, Harman J, Benninga M, Kelleher K, Mousa H, Di Lorenzo C. Health Utilization and Cost Impact of Childhood Constipation in the United States. J Pediatr 2009; 154; 258-62

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