Encopresis for 7 year old
Hello!
I am seeking suggestions and recommendations for a specialist who has worked with kids with encopresis. My daughter is 7 and we have already done the clean outs, mirilax, sitting, timer etc. We are looking for specialists (be it therapists, OT, etc) who have worked specifically with helping kids with encopresis move away from the associated fears and behaviors that keep them withholding.
Thanks!
Apr 26, 2021
Parent Replies
Hi, I am not sure if your 7 year old daughter is in school/ around other kids, but this may have something to do with it. My 5 year old was having issues with this, although she was more "choosing to go in her underware as I think she felt in control. All of this started around the beginning of the pandemic. She was out of school for 10 months, and the week before she went back to school she stopped having accidents 100%. Still to this day, on spring break and with a week off from school she had a few accidents with the change in routine. I think it has to do with a different routine and when they are around kids there is more social pressure to do what your peers do.
I am not sure if this is helpul or not, but I too thought it was Encopresis for a while. Then I realizied it was her trying to have more control over her lift. What dramatically helped her, was letting her wear dresses or leggings, with no undies, and this really encouraged her to go to the toilet. We did this for a week, and it was a game changer. I also didn't ever make a big deal about the accidents. Just was there camly to help her get changed.
I hope this helps or may give a new perspective on what could be going on. Let me know if you want to chat more :)
Hi, my heart goes out to you! We have an almost 7-yr old boy and we have been struggling for years. Tried everything. No advice aside from wanting to say that you are not alone! Happy to connect separately to share all the different things we have been/are trying, and just to offer some emotional support. Please contact us through our username here to connect.
Like other parents, I just wanted to say that you are not alone. We have a 6.5 year old boy and still struggle with accidents & regressions.
As for specialists, we have had a couple of consultations with Elizabeth Gleghorn at Children's Hospital, which were helpful to get additional perspective, but honestly didn't change all that much. The biggest benefit from those consults were getting referrals for xrays so that we knew the cleanouts had actually worked, and to know that his issues didn't stem from dietary issues.
Like the other parent who posted, we notice a big difference with changes in routines (more time at home = more accidents; more regular school routine = fewer accidents). We found that, despite all advice to the contrary, reducing daily Miralax helped firm up stools and give him a better sense of physical control. We have also found that doing a lot of mental preparation before potty time followed by a simple reward ("when we get home the first thing you are going to do is sit on the potty, and then after you poop you can have a snack/ipad time/soccer/etc.") have been the biggest help. Going potty as soon as we get home seems to help reduce the chance of him getting distracted, going into another room to withhold, etc.
We've tried super hard not to show our frustration, but have been honest about consequences: "If you keep having accidents we need to do another cleanout to help your body poop regularly again." That usually helps reset expectations about how hard he has to try.
Best of luck, and feel free to DM me for additional support.