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Stool soiling occurs in children mostly due to constipation or may be a result of sickness or a birth defect in the child. About 2% of children have this condition and when it is caused by constipation, it is known as Encopresis. The stools are often soft or liquid and have a very bad smell leak. Stools get stuck in the rectum or often mess up and stain the underwear of the child in loose clay or runny form. It can occur from once a day to several times a day. This is often involuntary and the child should not be made to feel responsible or guilty for it. Children with constipation may have painful bowel movements or incomplete emptying of stool.
They may have only 3 bowel movements a week or daily bowel movements with only small amounts of stool and then one large load of bowel movement suddenly. The stool that is not emptied and is left in the rectum may leak out of the anus and result in stool soiling. Curing the constipation solves the problem of stool soiling too. An illness that results in fever, physical inactivity or poor food intake may also result in constipation and stool soiling may remain the problem, even after the illness is cured. If the child is not potty-trained, then possibly he or she is going through a phase but if the child is able to use the toilet for urination but stool soiling remains the problem even after three months of learning these skills, it is better to consult a doctor.
Maintaining a toilet diary for the child for a week prior to doctor’s visit will help your doctor to see patterns in child’s bathroom habits such as when, where and what kind of bowel movements the child has. Teach your child to use the toilet and ask for help every time he needs to urinate or pass stools. High fiber foods and less dairy products in child’s diet will ensure that child's bowel movements are soft and well formed. Doctors may also prescribe fiber supplements or mild laxatives for a short time for constipated children. When the child has soiling accidents, be calm but you may ask the child to help clean up the mess. If the child does not have a bowel movement for 3 to 4 days in a row, consult the doctor who may remove the stool collected in the lower bowel using an enema or a suppository. It is to be ensured that the child has easy bowel movements to prevent another large collection of stool.