Why does my son play with his poop?

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asked Feb 23, 2022 in Kids Health by 344yesterday (700 points)
Why does my son play with his poop?

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answered Feb 24, 2022 by Checklife (2,190 points)
Depending on your sons age your child could be playing with poop as a result of normal toddler behavior or because they are bored.

If your child isn't able to find a suitable outlet for their senses, such as playing with paint or playdough, they might smear their feces or poop instead.

This can include situations where your child doesn't have access to these outlets, such as at bedtime.

As a result, they choose to 'play' with their poop instead.

If your son is older than toddler age then it could be due to sensory issues or autism.

Kids hold their poop for a variety of reasons such as having hard poop, being too busy, having painful experiencing when pooping, being afraid of pooping on the toilet, being constipated, being stressed etc.

Most toddlers withhold stool because they have had a painful experience with passing stool.

Children often respond and learn to relax when they receive reassurance and positive reinforcement.

Also, take steps to keep stool soft, so the child can easily have a bowel movement when the urge develops.

A good natural laxative for a child is prune juice or even castor oil.

Increase your child's water intake, give them apple juice, pear juice or even mix the prune juice with some apple juice or other juice which helps the prune taste better.

You can also feed your child some prunes which also helps them poop.

If your child hasn't pooped in 5 days then the child is likely constipated or they may just be holding back their poop.

If your child hasn't pooped in 5 days then you may want to give them some prune juice or apple juice to help them poop.

Another option is to give the child some laxatives that are safe for them.

It can be normal though sometimes for a child to go 5 days without pooping but normally they will poop everyday or every few days if they are eating enough fiber.

When your child is pooping their pants it could be because the child is too busy or distracted and does not want to go use the toilet or the child may have a condition such as encopresis.

If your child continues pooping their pants you should have them wear a diaper or pull up to keep their pants clean and your furniture etc clean.

Also take the child to the doctor to get tested and checked out.

It's normal for kids to sometimes poop their pants but if it happens too often then something may be wrong.

True encopresis is basically just fecal incontinence where a child poops their pants or soils their pants without really being able to control it.

To test for encopresis the doctor will do a physical exam, which might include a rectal examination (the doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum).

The doctor will also ask about the child's history of difficulty with bowel movements.

The most common cause of encopresis is constipation.

When a child is constipated the child's poop is hard, dry and may be painful to pass.

As a result, the child avoids going to the toilet making the problem worse.

The longer the child's poop remains in the colon, the more difficult it is for the child to push the poop out.

Anxiety as well as stress can cause encopresis.

Also forcing potty training can lead to encopresis as well as constipation and other health issues.

Children can develop encopresis if they feel anxious or stressed.

Encopresis is repeated episodes of stool soiling in children who are more than 4 years old.

For a diagnosis of encopresis, stool soiling must occur at least once a month for a minimum of 3 months.

A child can outgrow encopresis and most children do eventually outgrow encopresis although some kids may have encopresis for life or until adulthood.

Children whose encopresis goes unrecognized or untreated may not be able to resolve their symptoms on their own for many years.

In some cases, they may experience problems into adulthood.

Some ways to treat and fix encopresis include.

Emptying the rectum and colon of the hard poop. Depending on the child's age and other things, the doctor may recommend medicines, including a stool softener, laxatives, and/or enemas.
Helping your child begin having regular BMs.
Reducing use of the stool medicines.

If the child cannot keep from soiling their pants or underwear then until the Encopresis has been fixed the child should wear diapers.

Diapers can prevent the child from getting poop running down their legs or in their pants and it can be less embarrassing for the child.

My brother who was 8 at the time had encopresis and his doctor recommended that he wear diapers until the problem was resolved.

So my brother wore some Pampers Diapers which back then were the old style plastic backed pampers.

However a child can wear any type of diapers that they can fit in.

Youth Diapers are also available as well.

Encopresis which is also known as fecal incontinence or soiling, is the repeated passing of stool (usually involuntarily) into clothing.

Typically it happens when impacted stool collects in the colon and rectum: The colon becomes too full and liquid stool leaks around the retained stool, staining underwear.

Chronic neurotic encopresis (CNE), a childhood psychiatric disorder characterized by inappropriate fecal soiling, necessitated the formation of the following specific etiological factors: a) a neurologically immature developmental musculature, an organic condition which may complicate toilet training; b) premature or.

Most cases of encopresis are the result of chronic constipation.

In constipation, the child's stool is hard, dry and may be painful to pass.

As a result, the child avoids going to the toilet making the problem worse.

The longer the stool remains in the colon, the more difficult it is for the child to push stool out.

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