The impact of incorporating toilet‐training status in the pediatric Rome IV criteria for functional constipation in infant and toddlers

Background The diagnosis of functional constipation (FC) is based on the Rome criteria. The last edition of the criteria (Rome IV) for infants and toddlers modified the criteria to differentiate toilet‐trained (TT) and non‐toilet‐trained (NTT) children. These changes have not been validated. We aimed to understand the impact of adding toilet training to the diagnostic criteria and to assess the prevalence of FC. Methods Parents of infants and toddlers from six outpatient clinics (four public, two private) located in three geographically dispersed cities in Colombia completed validated questionnaires to diagnose functional gastrointestinal disorders according to Spanish version of Rome IV criteria (QPGS‐IV). Results A total of 1334 children (24.4 months ±15.0) participated: 482 (36%) TT and 852 (64%) NTT. The prevalence of FC was 21.1%. The prevalence increased with age, 0‐1 years 7.7%; 2 years 18.2%; 3 years 23.7%; and 4 years 37.2%. TT vs NTT for FC 41.9% vs 9.3%, respectively (OR 7.06, 95% CI 5.26‐9.47, P