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A mother from Nuneaton has urged the UK government to prioritise children’s continence services after her two-year-old son’s life-threatening constipation went untreated until he reached crisis point.
Elissa Novak said her son Ivan suffered severe vomiting, weight loss, and constant pain before doctors realised that constipation was the cause. At one point, 2kg of his 10kg body weight was stool, and his colon had become so impacted it pushed into his lung cavity, compromising his breathing.
Ivan, who is now five, spent months in and out of A&E, sometimes up to four times a week, because there was no dedicated bladder and bowel service in Warwickshire. He was admitted to hospital 25 times in six months before finally receiving the right treatment.
“He was completely robbed of his toddler years,” Elissa said. “It wasn’t taken seriously until he was really at crisis point.”
Ivan now receives daily bowel washouts and medication at home, but his mother fears many other children are still being failed.
According to NHS figures, more than 44,000 children were admitted to hospital in England in 2023–24 with constipation-related symptoms, the highest number in a decade. Around 1.5 million children in the UK suffer from the condition, according to the charity Bladder and Bowel UK.
Experts say the lack of specialist continence services is forcing families into crisis. “Constipation can be treated in the community and should not require hospital admission, but it is not being recognised,” said Brenda Cheer, a paediatric continence nurse with the charity Eric.
Parents like Elissa and Holly Brennan from Bristol—whose daughter endured three years of chronic constipation before receiving proper guidance—say support is often non-existent, leaving families feeling desperate.
Campaigners warn that children’s continence care has become a “silent casualty” of underfunding, creating a postcode lottery where families in some areas are left without support.
The Department of Health and Social Care said its 10-year health plan would expand community-based services, but parents and charities insist urgent action is needed to prevent avoidable suffering.
