Viewpoints of Traditional Iranian Medicine (TIM) about Etiology of Pediatric Constipation

Introduction Constipation in children is a common health problem affecting 0.7% to 29.6% children across the world. Exact etiology for developing symptoms is not clear in children and the majority is considered to have functional constipation. The diagnosis is often a symptom-based clinical process. Recently developed Rome III diagnostic criteria looks promising, both in clinical and research fields. Complementary and alternative medical therapies and practices are widely employed in the treatment of the children Constipation. This article aims to be a practical guide for paediatricians  and primary care physicians, to outline the current   etiology an  TIM  for the medical management of constipation in children. Materials and Methods:To make the review more reliable, we collected the references on Pediatric Constipation epidemiology,pathogenesis and pathophysiology mainly from the journals and text book which authorized by Iranian and conventional Medical Association and represent the highest level of literature. Results: Chronic constipation is a common pediatric problem affecting children worldwide. Exact etiology  in conventional Medical is unclear in the majority and is thought to be functional in origin. “Constipation” in the traditional medicine books is known as “abdominal block”and  three causes of constipation: nutritional factors, intra intestinal factors, extra intestinal factors. Conclusion: Investigations from  Iran and conventional medicine provide some new findings in the research and may help the future understanding of Pediatric Constipation .This detailed literature review may help the understanding and promoting the future studies on Pediatric Constipation.