An Open Single Centre Study To Assess Treatment of Chronic Constipation in Children

Inclusion Criteria: * children aged 24 months - 11 years old inclusive * patients with constipation defined as: * ≤ 2 spontaneous complete bowel movements per week (over the previous 14 days), and one or more of the following: * 1/4 or more of bowel movements with straining * 1/4 or more of bowel movements with hard or lumpy stools * patients in whom these symptoms have been present for ≥ 3 months * new patients or those whose management is unsatisfactory on current laxative treatment * patients of either sex * patients of any ethnic origin * hospital in-patients or outpatients. Exclusion Criteria: Patients with: * history of bowel washout within the last 2 months * intestinal perforation or history of obstruction * recent history of urinary tract infection (within last month) * Hirschsprungs disease * paralytic ileus * toxic megacolon * severe inflammatory conditions of the intestinal tract * clinically uncontrolled renal/hepatic/cardiac disease(s) * clinically uncontrolled endocrine disorder(s) * any other severe unstable co-existing disease * hypersensitivity to macrogol or other constituents of Movicol * encopresis * patients who have taken any investigational drug in the last three months * patients or patients whose parents would in the opinion of the investigator be unable to comply with the requirements of the study.