These tears or rips are called anal fissures . While anal fissures are not dangerous, they can be extremely painful and are often associated with some bleeding with bowel movements. This can be very frightening for parents and children alike. The tears or rips tend to occur in little folds of skin at the anal opening and so they may take a long time to heal much like a paper cut on a knuckle that constantly gets re-opened when you bend your finger. Many children who suffer from chronic constipation will have changes in their appetite.
Parents often notice that their child gets full very easily.
They will sit down at the table, eat several bites, and then complain that they are full. These children are often described as nibblers or grazers because they eat little bits throughout the day rather than eating three square meals. Some parents notice that their child's appetite improves dramatically for several days after they pass a large bowel movement, but then it slowly declines again. Some children with chronic constipation may have recurrent attacks of nausea and vomiting. It has been clearly shown that the stomach empties much more slowly than usual when someone becomes constipated.