RESUMO
Constipation is a common complaint heard in clinical Pediatrics. In most children, constipation is functional that is without objective evidence of a pathological condition. The aim of the present work was to identify some of the different etiologies of chronic constipation and to investigate the possible relation between constipation and cow milk allergy [CMA]. 30 consecutive infants and children with chronic constipation, attending the outpatient clinic of Cairo University Children Hospital, were studied. Beside the careful history taking and clinical examination, children were subjected to different investigations to diagnose the possible etiology of chronic constipation. In addition, diagnosis of CMA was done by challenge test to CM and blood tests including blood eosinophilic count, total serum IgE and specific IgE to cow milk proteins [ELISA technique]. Out of the 30 studied cases, the etiology of constipation was dietetic in 60%, CMA in 26.7%, Hirshsprung disease [HD] in 10%, and psychological constipation in only one patient [3.3%]. The diagnosis of dietetic constipation and CMA were significantly more common than HD [P = 0.0001]. The mean age and age of onset were not significantly different between the 3 groups. No sex predilection for the prevalence of constipation was found in different age groups [<12 months and >/= 12 months] [P = 0.7]. Most of patients were 6 months of age while CMA-related constipation was more common in patients