Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0
Soiling (Encopresis) Without Constipation
DESCRIPTION
A child with encopresis passes part or all of his normal
bowel movements into his underwear or diaper rather than the
toilet. This guideline discusses children who have this
problem but are not constipated.
CAUSE
When encopresis begins suddenly, the cause is usually a new
stress in the child's life. The stress may be a physical
illness such as severe diarrhea or an emotional upset such
as the birth of a sibling. These children usually regain
control of their bowels when the stress is reduced or
removed.
The most common cause of long-standing encopresis is
resistance to toilet training. Many of these children also
refuse to sit on the toilet or will use the toilet only if
their parent brings up the subject and marches them into the
bathroom. Any child who is over 2 and 1/2 to 3 years old,
healthy, and not using the toilet after several months of
encouragement to use it can be assumed to be resisting using
the toilet.
The most common cause of resistance to toilet training is
that a child is strong-willed and has been reminded or
lectured too much. Some children have been forced to sit on
the toilet against their will, occasionally for long periods
of time. A few have been spanked or punished in other ways
for not cooperating. Many parents make these mistakes,
especially if they have a child with a difficult
temperament. Most children less than 5 or 6 years old with
encopresis are simply engaged with you in a power struggle.
More practice runs, such as you have used in toilet
training, will not help. Instead, your child now needs full
responsibility and some incentives to spark his motivation.
HELPING YOUR CHILD OVERCOME SOILING
Children who have chronic encopresis can be helped with the
following suggestions. If your child holds back bowel
movements (BMs) and becomes constipated, medicines will also
be needed.
- Transfer all responsibility to your child for using the
toilet.
Your child will decide to use the toilet only after he
realizes that he has nothing left to resist. Have one
last talk with him about the subject. Tell your child
that his body makes "poop" every day and it belongs to
him. Explain that his "poop" wants to go in the toilet
and his job is to help the "poop" get out. To help him
function independently, put him in loose-fitting
underwear or training pants (not diapers or pullups).
Tell your child you're sorry you punished him for not
using the toilet, forced him to sit on the toilet, or
reminded him so much. Tell him from now on he doesn't
need any help from you or other people. Then stop all
talk about this subject. When your child stops
receiving attention for not using the toilet, he will
eventually decide to use it to gain some attention.
- Stop all reminders about using the toilet.
Let your child decide when he needs to go to the
bathroom. He should not be reminded to go to the
bathroom nor asked if he needs to go. Your child knows
what it feels like when he has to "poop" and where the
bathroom is. Reminders are a form of pressure, and
pressure doesn't work. He should not be made to sit on
the toilet against his will because this will give him a
negative attitude about the whole process. Don't
accompany your child into the bathroom or stand with him
by the potty chair. He needs to get the feeling of
success that comes from doing it on his own and then
finding you to tell you what he did.
- Give incentives for BMs in the toilet.
If your child has a BM in the toilet, give him immediate
positive feedback, such as praise and a hug. This
positive response should occur every time your child
uses the toilet. Special incentives, such as favorite
sweets or video time, can be invaluable for helping a
child change a bad habit. For using the toilet, err on
the side of rewarding generously; for example, you might
give your child 20 M&Ms. If you want a
breakthrough--that is, use of the toilet for the first
time--make your child an offer he can't refuse. Perhaps
you'll let him watch a new video he has been talking
about. A grab bag containing a variety of treats is
also a powerful motivator. On successful days, also
consider taking 20 extra minutes to play a special game
with your child or take him for a walk to the
playground.
- Give stars for using the toilet.
Get a calendar for your child and hang it where he sees
it all the time. Place a star on it every time he uses
the toilet. Keep this record of progress until your
child has gone 1 month without any accidents.
- If your child has never sat on the toilet, try to change
his attitude.
First, give him choices by asking if he wants to use the
big toilet or the potty chair. If he chooses the potty
chair, be sure to keep it in the room he usually plays
in. Your child may need a pleasant reminder once a day
when he is clearly having an urge to go. You can say
"The poop is trying to get out and go in the toilet.
The poop needs your help." Ask him to play the "see if
you can poop before the timer goes off" game and set the
timer for 5 minutes. Then let your child decide how he
wishes to respond to the pressure in his rectum. Some
children temporarily may need treats for simply sitting
on the toilet and trying.
- Use diapers and pull-ups as little as possible.
If your child refuses to sit on the toilet, having bowel
movements in diapers is better than holding back the
BMs. However, don't let your child wear diapers all
day. Keep your child in loose-fitting underwear or
training pants, so that he has to decide each time he
has an urge to pass a BM whether to use the toilet or to
come to you for a diaper. To help him make the right
choice, offer major incentives for using the toilet
successfully--for example, a trip to a favorite
restaurant, ice cream stand, or the zoo.
- Help your child change his clothes if he soils himself.
Don't ignore soiling. As soon as you notice that your
child has messy pants, clean him up immediately. The
main role you have in this new program is to enforce the
rule "we can't walk around with messy pants." Make
changing pants a neutral, quick interaction without any
show of anger. If your child is soiled, he will
probably need your help with cleanup, but keep him
involved. Have him rinse the soiled underwear in the
toilet. He may think this is "yucky" and be motivated
to keep his pants clean. If he refuses this task,
however, don't force him to do it.
- Respond gently to accidents.
The responses to soiling listed below will only delay
successful training and may cause emotional problems:
- threatening or lecturing your child
- forcing your child to sit on the potty chair
- punishing or scolding your child for accidents
- keeping your child in wet or soiled pants
- giving frequent reminders
- allowing siblings to tease your child.
- Ask the preschool or day care staff to use the same
strategy you are using.
Ask your child's teacher or day care provider to let
your child go to the bathroom any time your child wants
to. Keep an extra set of clean underwear at the school
or with the day care provider. Ask them to read this
discussion of soiling. Be sure your baby sitter knows
how to handle the situation positively and will not
punish your child for soiling his pants.
CALL YOUR CHILD'S PHYSICIAN DURING OFFICE HOURS IF:
- Your child holds back his bowel movements or becomes
constipated.
- The resistance is not improved after 1 month of following
these suggestions.
- The resistance has not stopped completely after 3 months.
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