An impacted colon occurs when the intestines can't move their contents efficiently through the digestive tract. Stool accumulates in the colon, becomes hard and unable to be expelled. The causes of an impacted colon vary but the outcome remains the same: children who suffer from this medical condition are miserable and experience a lot of pain.
Causes
The causes of obstruction that leads to impaction can be mechanical in nature--something is physically blocking the stool from progressing--or because the colon is not working as it should. Constipation is a major factor to consider with children who show signs of impaction. A diet that's lacking fiber and fluids creates stool that's hard, which makes producing a bowel movement difficult.
Children who suffer from kidney or lung disease, have experienced abdominal infections, are prescribed narcotic drugs for medical reasons or have electrolyte imbalances may develop paralytic ileus, a condition that leads to colon impaction. The National Institutes of Health explains that paralytic ileus is one of the most common types of bowel obstruction in children and simply means that the muscles of the colon are not strong enough to propel the contents through the lower digestive tract.
The University of California at San Francisco's Department of Urology points out that nerve or spinal cord damage in children can also lead to impaction, as these injuries increase your child's risk of constipation.
Symptoms
Your child's impacted colon may present itself through stomach pain; gas, cramping and bloating are all common. Loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting may accompany intestinal obstruction. Leakage of fecal matter is another possible sign of an impacted colon and is called encopresis. Though the colon is filled with a hardened, solid mass, stool that still remains liquid and free moving can make its way around the obstruction and leaks out when your child is not actively trying to produce a bowel movement.
Diagnosis
Diagnostic tools with the help of a physical examination can confirm an impacted colon and determine the cause for the obstruction if a mechanical component exists. A medical history that includes any medications your child takes, information about prior medical conditions and a description of his normal diet and bowel habits can help your doctor determine if diet-induced constipation is the culprit. Imaging tests--x-rays and CT scans--may be used to see the obstruction clearly. Your child's pediatrician or gastroenterologist may be able to hear high-pitched noises in the intestinal tract if an obstruction is caught early.
Treatment
Treatment for an impacted colon depends on the severity of the condition. Stool softeners, a high-fiber diet and lots of water can resolve constipation that contributes to impaction and clear out the digestive tract. Your child's doctor may recommend the administration of an enema or glycerin suppositories that increase your child's ability to have a bowel movement, reports Indiana-based Riley Hospital for Children. Severe impaction that's caused by a mechanical obstruction may require surgical intervention to remove the mass of stool; resolving the underlying condition that created paralytic ileus ensures that your child's colon can function normally again.
Considerations
Encopresis, or stool holding that leads to an impacted colon is most often a sign of physical issues such as constipation but can also be triggered by non-physical happenings. MayoClinic.com explains that trying to toilet train your child when he is not yet ready, or being too forceful in your approach may cause your child to hold on to his stool, creating impaction. Emotionally charged situations in your and your child's life such as the death of a loved one, separation of a child from one of his parents as commonly occurs through divorce or fear of new places like daycare or school could also play a role in developing an impacted colon. Talking with your child and dealing with emotional issues in as calm and soothing a manner as possible can be a preventive tool to avoid digestive problems.
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