Everyday life with childhood functional constipation: A qualitative phenomenological study of parents' experiences.

UNLABELLED: Childhood functional constipation (FC) is a worldwide problem with treatment regiments affecting everyday life.

AIM: To explore parents´ experiences of living with a child with FC and its impact on everyday family life.

METHOD: A qualitative phenomenological interview study using a reflective lifeworld research approach. Interviews with 15 parents of otherwise healthy children aged 1-14 years affected by FC.

FINDINGS: Shame is the driving force making parents put everyday life on hold. The quest for control, self-imposed loneliness, guilt, inadequacy, and frustrating battles become essential parts of everyday life to protect it from FC-related shame.

CONCLUSION

FC has as great an impact on everyday life as any childhood illness. Every part of family life is affected by FC. Continuously family support and guidance are needed.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare professionals need to take FC more seriously, listen to the parents and try to understand their experiences of everyday life to enable custom made care plans with the family-unit in focus. Care with clinical sensitivity might help parents deal with the attendant shame and stigmatization that stem from illness beliefs about FC.