Early Screening of Emotional, Behavioral and Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children With Functional Constipation.

Inclusion Criteria: * Children presenting for the first time at the department of Pediatrics of the Universitair Kinderziekenhuis Brussel with complaints of constipation will be included regardless of previously diagnosed behavioral and developmental health problems and regardless of any previous treatment for functional defecation disorders. * Developmental age 4-18 years * Children and parents who express themselves fluently in Dutch or French * Children who meet the Rome IV criteria for the diagnosis of functional constipation in children * Children with developmental age of at least 4 years At least two of the following present at least once per week for at least one month. * Two or fewer defecations in the toilet per week * At least one episode of fecal incontinence per week * History of retentive posturing or excessive volitional stool retention * History of painful or hard bowel movements * Presence of a large fecal mass in the rectum * History of large-diameter stools that may obstruct the toilet * The symptoms cannot be fully explained by another medical condition. Exclusion Criteria: * Children with an underlying disease that could have contributed to the development of constipation: Celiac disease, Hypothyroidism, hypercalcemia, hypokalemia, Diabetes mellitus, Dietary protein allergy, Drugs, toxics, Vitamin D intoxication, Botulism, Cystic fibrosis, Hirschsprung Disease, Anal achalasia, Colonic inertia, Anatomic malformations, Pelvic mass (sacral teratoma), Sp…