How to Deal With Encopresis in Children
Encopresis is a condition found in children who are toilet trained but suffer from chronic constipation. Encopresis is not the same as constipation, but is the involuntary holding of stools which leads to hard, dry, bowel movements which are painful to pass. This is a very frustrating condition for parents to deal with. Learn more about Encopresis and what you can do to help a child with this medical problem.
Instructions
Encopresis ensues after a vicious cycle of hard painful stools, holding the stool, which then makes it hard and painful to pass. The key to solving the problem is breaking this cycle. You have to understand the physiology of the digestive system before you can solve the problem of Encopresis. When feces are held in the lower intestine for too long, they become hard, dry, and difficult to pass. The lower intestine becomes stretched out and can no longer signal the brain that it needs to eliminate its contents. The child just gets used to having a full lower intestine - which causes discomfort, irritability, crankiness, and even a change in personality. Sometimes, a liquid with a foul odor will leak out into the child's underwear. (This is unpleasant and embarrassing for the child.) The child then becomes resistant to using the bathroom because it is an unpleasant agonizing experience. If your child suffers from this problem, take him to the pediatrician for a diagnosis. If Encopresis is the diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe a gentle stool softener such as Miralax that can be mixed into a liquid and taken easily by the child. (It is over the counter now, it used to be prescription only.) You just mix the powder into juice and they don't even taste it. Establish regular bathroom time for your child. After a meal is ideal because the digestive system has just been stimulated. Provide your child's favorite books for her bathroom time. You can even buy special magazines or children's activity books just for this purpose. Some kids are just too busy or too involved in playing to stop and use the bathroom so they just hold it. You have to make the child spend time in the bathroom. Avoid constipating foods like rice, milk products, and white bread. Make sure your child gets high fiber foods like fruit, vegetables, high fiber cereals, and whole wheat breads. Try baked goods made with high fiber cereal, whole wheat flour, or oatmeal. Vegetable soups work well too - you can hide all sorts of vegetables in soup. You want to help keep the stools soft so that they will pass easily and the child will lose his fear of painful bowel movements. Make sure the child drinks plenty of water and fruit juices. Avoid soft drinks and limit milk products. Water helps hydrate the intestines. Exercise. Keep your child from being sedentary. Walk around the neighborhood, play kickball, ride bikes, go to the park, jump rope. Just play outside. Turn on fun music and dance. Exercise stimulates the digestive system and helps keep things moving. See the resources section below for more tips and tools for dealing with Encopresis. Take it from a mom who knows, you can get thru this situation and get your happy child back. Previous:How to Make a Teepee for a Child
