constipation and bowel problems

[Mumkinstein]

I would like to raise awareness of a condition called Encopresis. It is VERY common. Symptoms are as follows:-
Constipation, sometimes very dry and hard pellet like poos and intermittent diarrhoea.
The child has previously been fully toilet trained and starts to have accidents, sometimes at night.
Headaches , tummy aches, feeling sick and unwell.
Secretive behavior and loss of confidence/self esteem.
It can be caused simply by poor diet but also for physical or psychological reasons. For this reason it needs a pediatricians care to assess the underlying cause.
The bowel gets impacted and overstretched numbing nerve endings, hence loss of sensation and control. The bowel needs unblocking and retraining usually using a combination of Senekot and Lactulose.
It is very distressing for the child and frustrating for the parents who often don't understand why the child can't control themselves, believing they are just being lazy or naughty if any of this sounds familiar, check it out.

Don't forget Movicol Paediatric.

Check out here for more info. The site is for children/teens with both urinesis and encopresis.

How common is common? Cases per thousand, etc?

I read it could be as many as one in every class. I don't know how many that makes but I guessing its quite a lot.

Yes, it is very common. I'm quite sure that it's at least 1 in every class. My dd has had it since being potty trained. It's a mixture of power control and not drinking enough in her case we think. She's been under the consultant for years though and we're getting there slowly.

Don't you think in that case it is very worrying how little is known in schools and by some GP's about this. I have spoken to a Senco at my DS's new Junior school who had no idea about it and four head teachers who were very interested to know about it but completely in the dark before I spoke to them. This problem can be catastrophic in every way for a child and in many cases with todays diet is simply not a case of increasing fibre to put it right. It affects learning through being uncomfortable and afraid it destroys self-esteem and confidence and can even result in children being rejected by parents. One does have to ask how many children are punished mentally and physically through lack of understanding. My DS went for over a year with the problem, having been tided away by three doctors and told to eat more fruit and veg. (he is by nature the best at eating a healthy diet I know of in his class) Then I looked the symptoms up by googling. Even then there was an air of casualness from my doctor towards the problem, who just said she would refer us to a pediatrician and offered nothing else until I made a scene. The problem had by now reduced my DS to hopelessness and despair and made school a place of humiliation and fear through his falling behind in his work and feeling stupid. On the physical side , pooing was extremely painful because of the mass inside but not only that, his bottom was so sore at times he couldn't bear to be cleaned. We had to wipe the worst off with wet wipes and put lashings of vaseline on him, then just sit him on an old towel to get the soiling off. then bath him. I have found it absolutely amazing to see what a difference being understood and getting some treatment has made to my DS. Now the stress is gone, he has confided in us as well as the ongoing bullying which knew about, he has been having real nightmares about "shouty Teachers" . His fear of being told off, I think has played a large part in causing the problem. Does anyone know of a way we can get information into schools effectively?

mumkinstein - I'm sure that ERIC.org have a programme to increase awareness in schools; I'm sure they had info for schools on their site as I once printed off the human rights thing they had on their about not leaving chidlren in soiled underwear at school (as some teachers had done). I think if the child isn't cleaned within 30 mins, it's classed as neglect. I'll have another look but a pack for parents sent home and a pack for schools to keep and hand around staff, would be a great idea.

check out this mumkinstein

information sheet on soiling

Thank you luciemule. Its brilliantly useful but this wonderful clear information definitely doesn't seem to have reached Birmingham. Perhaps I should contact Eric on Monday and ask them to resend in our area.
The teachers in our school were I'm sure, in denial. On one of the days when he got so sore I couldn't clean him, they insisted they couldn't smell anything even though he had clearly been sitting in mess for some hours. Or, perhaps they think that children naturally smell that way?
The human rights bit is well worth knowing. I will print the information off for our school and suggest at the very least, they mention the subject at the beginning of the year and direct parents and staff to the site.

Don't quote me on it but there was defo something in the site somewhere about the length of time they were allowed to sit in soiled underwear.
Hope you get through to the school. Fortunately, all of the paeds consultants we've seen (we've moved around due to DH's job in the forces) have been really good and have made me feel much more able to cope. DD doesn't soil any more, unless she's really lazy about going and tries to sit on her foot to hold it in, but we do have real trouble still getting her to wipe herself and try sitting on the loo regularly.
For her, we're pretty sure it's a control thing.