My child has a colostomy

Does your child have a colostomy? We help you understand what a colostomy is and how it changes your child’s body functions, so you can get comfortable caring for your little one.

Your child’s colostomy

If your child has a surgically created opening between the large intestine (the colon) and abdominal wall, it is called a colostomy. Your surgeon, Ostomy Care nurse or Paediatric nurse can help you understand both the reason for your child’s colostomy surgery.

During a colostomy surgery, the end of the large intestine is brought out onto your child’s abdominal surface – this is called the colostomy and will now be the point of exit for your child’s stool.

As a parent, you play an important role in ensuring that the colostomy is well-maintained to ensure proper healing. The following topics are important topics in order to provide the best care for your child.

What is a pouching system?

Since there is no muscle around the ostomy, your child will not be able to control when the stool passes through the ostomy and will therefore need to wear an ostomy pouch outside of the body at all times to collect waste. The pouch is held on the body with an adhesive patch called a skin barrier. The barrier has a hole in the middle just large enough for the ostomy. It’s called a “skin barrier” since it not only holds the pouch onto the body, it also protects the skin around the ostomy so that no stool or urine touches the skin.

A temporary or permanent colostomy?

Depending upon your child’s specific condition, the colostomy can be temporary or permanent. When your child’s ostomy is temporary, is it created as a temporary measure, to allow the intestine a chance to rest and heal after surgery. In this case, the large intestine will eventually be reconnected and the ostomy closed. When your child’s ostomy is permanent, the large intestine is not reconnected.

Expect changes in your child’s output

A colostomy usually begins to function about 3-4 days after surgery. Your child’s first output will be somewhat liquid in nature. However, within the next few weeks, the stool may thicken to a soft-formed composition. Depending upon where in the bowel the colostomy is created (beginning, middle, end) will determine how much water is absorbed from the stool and how thin or thick it will be. The further stool travels down the large intestine, the more water is absorbed and the thicker it will become. Even with a colostomy, your child may still have his/her rectum in place and may feel the need to have a bowel movement. This sensation occurs because the intestine continues to produce mucus, which may pass from the rectum. Should this happen to your child, it’s important to remember that it’s completely normal.

Beware of skin irritation

The skin surrounding the ostomy is called the peristomal skin. It’s hard to overstate the importance of maintaining a healthy skin in this area. As a parent, you should therefore ensure that this area is kept intact without irritation, rashes, or redness. This will ensure better comfort for your child and make sure the pouching system also attaches better to the skin. However, irritation can occur and if so, proper care should return your child’s skin to good health.