Some children poop on, even though they are at the age when children are usually able to control when to poop. Then it is important to find out the cause and try to help the child.
Almost all children who are two to three years old can feel themselves when they are in need of a baby. They can also control whether or not to poop. It is controlled by the so-called stool reflex, which sends signals to the brain that the bowel needs to be emptied. Most four-year-olds can tell when they need poop.
But sometimes older children may lose this control at some point, for example, if they become frightened or have stomach ailments and diarrhea.
At the age of seven to ten years, a few children have constant or recurring problems with being bullied.
Various reasons for children to poop
When a child poops on it it can have different causes. The most common are mentioned here.
Constipation
The most common cause of child pooping is severe constipation that neither the child nor any adult has noticed. The child has not been sufficiently pooped for a long time. Therefore, large amounts of feces have stored, and dilated the large intestine and rectum. The usual stool reflex then stops working. What can get past the hard is small amounts of fairly loose or semi-solid paw, which the child does not notice before it gets into the pants.
The child has in the past usually been able to decide for himself when to poop.
Mental causes
In connection with conflicts in the family, stress or other things that are difficult or difficult for the child, they can start to pounce. The children then poop shaped stools, poop sausages, in the pants.
If teens poop on themselves, it is a clear signal that something is wrong and that the child needs help.
Children with these problems have previously been able to decide for themselves when to poop.
Nervous disorders
It is unusual, but some children may have an innate disorder of the nerves in the intestinal wall. The part of the intestine that contains the damaged nerves does not work properly and the stools are not transported forward. The child has difficulty in pooping and there will never be any large amounts of poop. This is usually noticed early, usually during the child’s first year of life. For example, in Hirschsprung’s disease, some nerve cells are missing in a part of the intestine.
The baby’s intestine may also function poorly due to a neurological injury or illness. The gut can sometimes work slower. The child also does not feel when the bowel is full and may also have difficulty controlling the muscles of the rectum.
What can I do for myself?
It is important that you do not blame or embarrass the child in order to poop on him. There is nothing they do consciously. To say, threaten, scold or tease only makes matters worse.
You should try to help the child so that they do not smell, partly because other children should not comment on it. For example, you can make sure the child brings clothes for change when they are in preschool, school, at various activities or at others. With the child’s permission, you can also talk to the teachers, leaders, relatives or friends who are often with the child and who can be helpful.
Think about what might be causing the problems. Talk to the child, be sure to adjust the conversation according to their age. This way you show that you want to listen and help if something feels hard.
Help with constipation
If you suspect the child has constipation, there are several tips. Since the child is about three years old, it is possible to reduce the risk of constipation by, among other things, providing varied food and making sure that they drink properly and move. Most often constipation goes away by itself or by the child changing his eating habits. Unless varied food helps, there are medicines that provide softer poo. But before using the child, ask a doctor or nurse at bvc or a health care center for advice.
Give the child time to poop
It is also important that the child is given the opportunity to regularly pose in peace and quiet. This is especially important if the child has constipation.
If the child finds it difficult or difficult to bump into preschool or school, you can talk to the staff about it, and try to find solutions. For example, it may be that the child can go to a toilet where it is a little calmer. Be sure to ask the child if you can talk to the staff. If the child wants, they can join in and talk.
When should I seek care?
If your child is older than four years and often or always poop on himself, you should contact bvc or a health care center.
If a child older than four years of age continues to get a little poop in his pants even though you have tried to treat any constipation, you should contact a health care center or pediatric clinic so that the child can have an examination.
If children older than four years poop on themselves several times with larger poop sausages in their pants, this is a sign that the child is not feeling well. Then you should contact a pediatrician. Often other help is also needed, for example by a child psychologist in children and adolescent psychiatry, bup. The same applies if teens are pooping on them.
You should contact bvc or a pediatrician if your child is a few months old and has not yet pooped a large amount at one and at the same time.
Investigation
First, get the child and you tell about the trouble. You usually talk about how often the child poop, how the poop looks and what eating habits you have.
If the child needs examination, they may lie down so that the doctor can feel on the stomach. The doctor also feels in the rectum. It goes fast and usually does not hurt, but can be a little uncomfortable.
Sometimes the child needs to have an X-ray examination of the stomach.
Prepare the child and yourself
It is common to have thoughts and questions before the visit. Both you and the child may have thoughts and concerns. It is then good if you can prepare them and yourself for what is going to happen. It is important that the child knows why they should be examined.
Children should be involved
There is no age limit for when a child may be involved in determining in a care situation. The child’s right to decide for himself is related to the child’s maturity. The older the child is, the more important it is for them to be involved in their care. In order to be active in health care and to make decisions, it is important that you understand the information you receive from health care personnel. You have the right to receive all the information you need from the healthcare staff.
Ask questions if you don’t understand. You can also ask to have the information printed to read it peacefully. If interpretation is needed in other languages, you may have the right to have it. You may also have the right to receive interpreting assistance in the event of hearing loss.
The older the child is, the more important it is that the child himself participates in discussions and decisions about the treatment. It becomes especially important during adolescence.
Treatment of children pooping on themselves
The treatment of pooping the child receives depends on the cause of the inconvenience. A first part of the treatment is often advice on how the child should eat and drink, and advice on toilet habits.
Sometimes medicines are needed for, for example, constipation.
If the child has contact with adolescent psychiatry, the treatment of children pooping is usually adapted to what the child needs.
If the baby has injuries to the intestinal nerves, the part of the intestine that is damaged is removed by surgery. These injuries are most often detected when the child is very small.
Children who have neurological injuries usually have regular contact with the child rehabilitation or a children’s clinic. The trouble with pooping on is often one of several symptoms of pooping that the child has, and is treated depending on the cause.