SUNDAY, Sept. 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) — When a child struggles with constipation, it can be a source of frustration and discomfort for the whole family. But a leading pediatric expert offers a clear guide to understanding and treating this common issue.

According to Dr. Jaya Punati , a neurogastroenterologist and co-director of the Colorectal and Pelvic Anomalies Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, the key to spotting constipation isn't how often a child goes to the bathroom, but the consistency, in other words hardness or softness, of their stool.

"Constipation is not frequency of stooling," she said in a news release."Constipation is consistency of stooling."

Healthy stool should be soft and easy to pass, like a coil or soft pile, she explains, like the poop emoji. Hard st

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