Conditions
Incontinence
It’s a great day when your child gets the hang of using the potty or going to the toilet on their own, but incontinence affects kids as well as adults, and it’s just as awkward and embarrassing. According to the Nursing Times, 3.5 per cent of boys and 1 per cent of girls aged five suffer from it, and you might be surprised that one of the commonest causes is actually constipation.
This means children involuntarily open their bowels and soil themselves, often without being aware it’s happening, and this can occur several times a day. So what’s the connection with constipation, which we normally think of as meaning kids can’t pass a poo, no matter how they hard they try? The answer lies in the fact when kids are constipated, poo gets stored up in the rectum were it becomes hard and blocks the passageway. But new waste is still being formed, and this leaks out involuntarily in the form of incontinence.
That means that in many cases treating incontinence actually means treating constipation. Your doctor may be able to prescribe a laxative, and help with any other dietary issues that may be contributing to the problem.
Not surprisingly, all this can be very upsetting for you and your child. One of the causes of constipation – and therefore incontinence – is feeling anxious or unhappy about going to the toilet, which in turn causes kids to try and ‘keep it in’, thereby making the problem worse. Be gentle and reassuring and don’t blame kids for something they literally can’t control. Incontinence can bring enough emotional problems of its own.
Though chronic (ie long-term) constipation is the principle cause of incontinence, there are other factors that can cause it, including neurological problems, emotional issues and damage to the anus or sphincter. If you suspect any of these, speak to you doctor or school nurse who’ll be able to provide more specific help.
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My son is 9 years old and everything that has been said before in other peoples stores is my son He has been under a consulton for the last 6 years has been in hospital 2 times to have the bowel cleared out he has a good died on movical and lactoes to try and keep it moving I just wish we could get answer to this as he is getting older He wants to get this sorted as he can not even go to his friends house and it is holding him back as he seems to be constrating on not dirthung him self at school Help
My son is 4 and a half years old, he will wee on the toilet not a problem , but he is constantly soiling himself and im changing his underwear 6, 7 8 times a day if not more. We have seen a doctor , she felt a blockage and he was on sipositories for a week , he got very stressed out about this and stopped, he is now on lactolose twice a day but this is making no difference what so ever. The doctors dont seem too bothered and im waiting on a referral to a peadiatrician but this can take up to 3 months , its been about 2 and im still waiting. Its affecting him, as hes not accepted in school until hes potty changed and we cant be sure if this is a medical problem. i have had no feedback on what the problem could be, and i have had no advice on his diet as maybe he could have an allegy.. Does any one have any advice or had any experience in this??
My daughter is 17 in highschool and has incontinence with her bowls and blatter. She will have an accident about 4 times a week in her pants. I go to the doctors and everything but nothing is helping. She's been wetting the bed lately. I have been making her wear goodnites ( night time protective underwear ) so she doesn't keep messing up her sheets. She pooped her pants at her friends house when the were finishing dinner. She's been wearing protective durring the day depending on how many accidents. Please help her and I are both tired of cleaning sheets and getting stains out
Our grandaughter has just been diagnosed with NID neuronal intestinal dysplasia which means that she has some cells in her intestinal tract but they don,t work very well. What I,ve read about it is that she will always have problems with pooing and like your daughter will have accidents due to this. You might want to mention this to your doctor but you need to have a biopsy done to confirm it. Hope this helps you
my son is 11 and he also poos his pants,hes had problems with his poo since he was a toddler,his poo is enormous width wise prob the size of a cup ive tried everything and nothing works i try to get him to go every day to the toilet but it still is that size.he now hides his pants oall over the house hoping that i wont find them but i follow my noes then i find them.im really worried about this .my son is a very fussy eater and quite often i have to disguise healthy food for example if were having potoes i will make gravy but blend loads of vegetables in the gravy so he will eat it,he like high fibre cereal he will have a massive plate ate least 3 times a day i took him to the doctor who prescribed him lactulose i have been giving him this every day but its still makies no difference. help please.
My 13-year old daughter appears to be incontinent. There are periods of time where it is not an issue but it then returns - but the worrying thing is that she does not seem to be aware that she has soiled or wet herself and is "happy" to stay in soiled underwear. Any ideas or advice would be GREATLY appreciated so that we can help her sort this out.
My son has Aspergers and has had problems with passing stools since he was a baby. He's now 13 and has had a blocked bowel 3 times in the last year. He hates going to the toilet because it causes him pain- but recently he's been soiling again at school so hes been back on the movical. His apetite is poor and has alot of abdominal pain even with the movical and recently said that it feels like he has veins sticking out of his anus- I've checked but cant see anything- also he has said that hes itchy but has also said that he's tried to pull one of these 'veins' out- the constipation nurse thinks he may have a prolapse? Incidentally I'm really disappointed since I've been watching his diet carefully since he has a limited diet (loves meat) and I give him veg that he will eat. Also peas give him diarhea and I suffer with IBS
I could not believe how many parents are having the same problems as we are. My Grandaughter is 10 this year and is still soiling herself. Constipation, bad potty training, her other issue is all being blamed for her problem yet, no one wants to know about it or is prepared to do anything to help her. Please please please somebody, help us. Its as if the medical profession just dont care or appreciate the effect it has on the child, the family, socially, mentally and emotionally. Embarrasing Bodies you are our only hope.
My children are 13 and 10 and both incontinent with their bowels. Yesterday a paed finally "lifted their tail" so to speak and is not completely sure (as he rarely sees it) but thinks their anus is in the wrong spot! We are having an MRI on both kids next week. Google Slow Transit Constipation, Intestinal Neuronal Dysplasia, Nuclear Transit Study, Imperforate Anus, Anterior Anus, Posterior Anus for more ideas for your grand daughter. To think of all the gallons of laxatives, enemas, x'rays etc and we've travelled all over Oz trying to find answers. If it turns out to be such an obvious thing I think I'll scream! Every specialist must've just thought that someone else checked. Ask your doctor for biopsy's and an MRI. And please hug your Grand Daughter.
My son is 5 and has suffered from soiling for the past 3 years. It started when we moved, up until this point he was potty trained and happy to pass stools. Once we had moved he started to hold his stools and as such soils. He will hold for anything from 2 to 8 weeks, which leads to vomiting when his stomach will no longer accept food. I have had various responses from doctors and finally seeing a specialist nurse, but this is really no support, as all the suggestions have been done before, he takes movicol and sodium picosulphate to try and encourage a clear out. I have had doctors telling me don't worry he's not undernourished! I have worked in hospital theatres and seen the horrific effects of bowel obstructions and do not want my son to have to experience this. I dont think there is a medical reason, however this has never been ruled out in the 3 years. I have been made to feel inadequate by the medical profession as a mother. I know my son, and this is very distressing for both parents and children. I have to send my son to school with a sanitary towel in his pants to help reduce the embarrassment, however accidents still happen, and although the school are sympathetic, there is a line where he is sent home until he has produced a poo at which point he is allowed back to school. I am still working through this and trying every way I can to get my son to poo, but now 4 weeks since his last 15" poo, a dramatic reduction in his food intake, constant movicol intake (we have to be really sneaky to get him to drink it, and normally only 1 a day) and sodium picosulphate on thursday, friday and saturday as the school will insist on him being at home if there is a chance it will act when he is at school, it really is only a matter of time before things get worse, but my doctor think fussing and not to worry and consultant appointment not for another couple of months. sympathise with others in this situation, its so emotionally draining.
Please have a look at my answer in reply to "Sarah"
Hi, My brother is 5 years old and he has been suffering from constipation for about a year where he was constipated and then pooed after. In October 2011 it has become worse as he just stores the food in his body and doesn't poo after 8-9days. We have given him lactulose , fig syrup and it hasn't worked. He has been suffering alot as in his poo there is alot of blood. We have taken him to the doctors they have said to give movicol. This is not working he does a small amount of poo very painfully. We have tried everything!! Anyone know anything plz help xx
Please have a look at my answer to "Sarah"
My son is 13 an stilling soiling on a regular basis. It affects everything we do. My house smells my car smells. I don't usually have any visitors because of it and he doesn't go anywhere other than school and to his dad's. His dad refuses to have him more than once a week so I don't get much of a break. I have a new relationship which I am considering ending due to the awkwardness of the situation. I intend to talk to the nurse at my doctors today but to be honest I don't wxpect anything other than more laxatives which he wil refuse to take.
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