Constipation is very common in children, and can be characterized by a decrease in the number of bowel movements (≤2/week); dry, hard stools; difficulty in defecation (laborious, time-consuming); pain in defecation; and a sense of incomplete defecation. The prevalence of constipation in children is reported to be 0.7% – 29.6% (median 12%), of which 90% are functional constipation. The diagnosis of functional constipation in children is mainly based on the Rome III criteria. The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition developed guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of functional constipation in children in 1999, which were updated in 2006 and 2014, and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) developed guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic constipation in children in 2010. Treatment strategies for functional constipation in children mainly include basic treatment, medication, behavioral treatment, surgical treatment, and follow-up. Basic treatment is based on family education, dietary modification and lifestyle changes. Adequate water intake (including water in food and fruit juice), balanced diet (encouraging breastfeeding and increasing dietary fiber intake), appropriate exercise, and reasonable toilet training (for children over 4 years old, 5 – 10 min of toileting after each meal every day) are required. If the basic treatment is ineffective for 2 weeks, medication should be started. Pharmacological treatment is preferred to oral osmotic laxatives (polyethylene glycol or lactulose) or rectal administration of laxative for 3–6 d, in order to relieve fecal impaction, and restore regular and comfortable bowel habits as soon as possible. After the laxative treatment is finished, the maintenance treatment is started to prevent the fecal impaction again. Maintenance therapy includes dietary modification, medication and behavioral therapy, and can last for 2 months. Medications used during the maintenance phase can be osmotic laxatives, stimulant laxatives, stool softeners, or rectal administration. Osmotic laxatives are ions or molecules that are not readily absorbed by the intestinal tract and form an osmotic delivery in the intestinal lumen, keeping water in the intestines; while the increased water dilates the intestinal lumen, stimulating peristalsis and softening the stool. Lactulose is indicated for all ages, while polyethylene glycol 4000 is domestically indicated for children over 8 years of age with constipation. Stimulant laxatives primarily increase peristalsis in the large intestine and promote secretion of water and electrolytes from the distal small intestine and colon to soften the stool. There is no information that osmotic laxatives induce long-term adverse effects such as electrolyte disorders and mucosal damage, but there are few reports of safety evaluations of stimulant laxatives applied in pediatrics. Behavioral, psychosomatic, conventional and biofeedback therapies are used for specific subjects and are not recommended as routine treatment for constipation. Probiotics may be beneficial in the treatment of functional constipation, but there is a lack of high-quality evidence-based evidence. Medication should only be considered for tapering if it has been effective for 2 consecutive months and should not be stopped abruptly. Dosage reduction can be maintained for several months to observe changes in stool looseness and frequency of bowel movements until good bowel habits are established. Surgical treatment is suitable for refractory constipation, such as drug treatment is ineffective, long-term constipation or the need for manipulation of laxatives, can be taken to the smooth colon enema (appendicostomy) or sigmoidectomy. The treatment of constipation is long-term, usually easy to repeat, parents may seek multiple hospitals for treatment, so follow-up is particularly important. Emphasis should be placed on family education and health promotion, guidance on proper diet and lifestyle, and the use of non-pharmacological therapies. At the same time, we should pay attention to the warning signs and symptoms of constipation and revise the diagnosis in time. In addition, multidisciplinary collaboration should be strengthened to improve the diagnosis and treatment of functional constipation in children.