Encopresis in children What is it? Symptoms and Treatment

The encopresis in children or also known as fecal incontinence, It is a more common problem than you can imagine, only that given its nature, it is not the most comfortable topic of conversation when it comes to our children or the youngest of our family.

This happens mainly because in most cases this problem is often confused with simple uncleanness or rebellion on the part of the child..

Signs and symptoms of encopresis in children

Before enunciating the signs and symptoms of encopresis in children, it is important to draw a clear distinction between the two concepts. A sign is a sign that we can see with the naked eye or through careful observation, while a symptom is what the child can tell us.

Among the main warning signs we find:

• Constant stains of liquid stool on underwear and sometimes on outer clothing, this can be mistaken for diarrhea.
• Severe constipation with dry hard stools and a more foul-smelling than normal.
• Passing of large stools.
• Abnormally spaced time periods between one bowel movement and another.
• Enuresis (bed-wetting) or mild urinary incontinence throughout the day.
• Repeated cystitis (The child usually goes to the bathroom constantly, to a much higher extent than normal) this usually occurs mainly in girls.

The above are the main signs that account for the possible presence of a encopresis box. Next, we will show you some of the symptoms that the minor must or could account for.

• The child realizes that he does not want to go to the bathroom to stool, although he does not show any problem entering to urinate.
• Lack of appetite for most of the day for several weeks.
• The child constantly reports mild stomachaches and occasionally has severe stomachaches.

As you can see and fortunately, there are more observable signs of the disease than the referred symptoms necessary to establish whether or not it is this type of condition. We say fortunately because this painting is usually presented in children between 4 and 6 years old so being clear about the referred symptoms is a bit more complex.

Causes of encopresis in children

According to studies, encopresis in children usually occurs mainly due to two possibilities, or in other words, there are two risk factors for the disease. Digestive complications related to constipation and emotional problems.

Although in principle it is difficult to separate both risk factors, experts have determined that encopresis can occur physiologically or mentally.

Encopresis due to constipation

In cases of chronic constipation, it is common for encopresis to develop in children, because their body does not have the capacity to hold stool.

In these cases, encopresis occurs because the digestive system is full and begins to cause the leakage of liquid stools. Constipation can occur for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:

• Lactose intolerance.
• Excessive consumption of dairy
• Lack of fiber in the diet
• Nutritional deficiencies (due to lack of resources or planning)

It is important in cases of encopresis in children pay particular attention to physiological factors before pointing towards the emotional, because although it may have a close relationship with the mental state, the main thing to solve encopresis is the homeostasis of the child's body system.

Emotional causes of encopresis

The emotional factors In children, as in any human being, they are usually quite diverse and can vary enormously from one case to another. Next we will talk about the main ones emotional causes that can lead to encopresis in children, although this is by no means limited to these mere causes.

• Accelerated, premature, or high-pressure potty learning process which can lead to high levels of stress.
• Game interruption. Sometimes the child will avoid having to go to the bathroom so as not to interrupt his game, if this happens constantly it can induce a picture of encopresis.
• Child's fear of going to the bathroom due to unpleasant events or pain during bowel movements.
• Emotional processes related to radical changes in the child's life, divorces, removals, death or loss of a pet or valuable object, etc..

Although emotional factors are diverse and are directly related to the child's refusal to surrender to the world in some way or fear of changes and those things, people that he may lose.

Possible treatments for encopresis in children

As established in this article, two different treatment routes can be defined for encopresis. On the one hand, there is everything related to physiological component and on the other the elements of the mental component.

Medical treatments for infantile encopresis

Medical treatments for childhood encopresis go mainly in two ways. On the one hand, the intervention in eating habits. A good diet focused on the problem can be quite effective for milder cases, in the most severe cases the use of laxatives may be required to solve constipation.

Infant Encopresis and psychological treatment

Regarding patients who do not present physiological conditions (the minority), it is necessary to start psychological treatment in order to solve the problem of encopresis.

Sometimes it can be difficult to initiate psychological treatment with a child under 6 years of age, therefore this type of psychological treatment in children requires yes or yes the participation of the close family circle and in the most extreme cases even of secondary educators and caregivers.

Childhood encopresis can be easily overcome with proper diagnosis and treatment, For this reason, it is important to be aware of the warning signs seen in this article in order to identify and solve the problem in time..

If you suspect that a child close to you has encopresis, it is best to support them a lot and seek professional help, before psychologically or emotionally affecting the child.