Diapering as a treatment for childhood constipation

[Freddie07601]

Not long ago, I read an extended comment by a pediatrician who offered the observation that attempting toilet training at too young an age can cause anxiety leading to constipation and ultimately encopresis. The pediatrician believed children below the age of three should not be encouraged to hold either pee or poop.

I've lived all my life with high functioning ASD. As a child, I had an irrational fear of toilets and any kind of drain. I reacted to early attempts at toilet training with melt downs. My family, at the time, knew nothing about high functioning ASD. When I was fearing being coerced into using the toilet, I held my poop far longer than was healthy. I remember how it hurt. Chronic constipation for me and frustration for both my parents and myself resulted. I was about four.

It wasn't considered "right" for a child my age to still be in diapers. When my parents stopped attempting potty training, however, the constipation stopped, I began having regular BM's again, albeit in my diapers, and I became MUCH calmer and more comfortable. My older brother and younger sister teased me some, as did kids at school, but the teasing never reached really cruel levels. I minded the teasing much less than I would have minded being forced to use a toilet.

Some time after my seventh birthday I began learning to use the toilet, mostly to gain the approval of my parents and grandparents. I don't remember ever being without some level of protection, including being fully diapered at night and when toileting would be difficult. Constipation never became a serious problem again.

 

[Calico]

I don't understand how anyone can just hold it because for me it always hurt when I had to poo and holding it would have been painful. I used to poo my pants because like you, I had a fear of big toilets and if I wasn't allowed to use the potty chair, I would just go in my clothes and then change. Parents should really be patient with their kids for potty training and when they try to get them to use the big toilet from the potty chair. My mom used to just sit me with me and hold me on the big toilet so I wouldn't be scared. Then eventually I was using them on my own and no more potty chair or wetting or messing myself. Plus my preschool had small toilets for kids so I wasn't scared.

 

[Jorelaxed]

I agree, the potty training process is scary at times.

 

[OldTerry]

Understand this as I had encopresis due to emotional problems and needed cloth nappies and rubbers until 10

 

[Jorelaxed]

Not long ago, I read an extended comment by a pediatrician who offered the observation that attempting toilet training at too young an age can cause anxiety leading to constipation and ultimately encopresis. The pediatrician believed children below the age of three should not be encouraged to hold either pee or poop.

I've lived all my life with high functioning ASD. As a child, I had an irrational fear of toilets and any kind of drain. I reacted to early attempts at toilet training with melt downs. My family, at the time, knew nothing about high functioning ASD. When I was fearing being coerced into using the toilet, I held my poop far longer than was healthy. I remember how it hurt. Chronic constipation for me and frustration for both my parents and myself resulted. I was about four.

It wasn't considered "right" for a child my age to still be in diapers. When my parents stopped attempting potty training, however, the constipation stopped, I began having regular BM's again, albeit in my diapers, and I became MUCH calmer and more comfortable. My older brother and younger sister teased me some, as did kids at school, but the teasing never reached really cruel levels. I minded the teasing much less than I would have minded being forced to use a toilet.

Some time after my seventh birthday I began learning to use the toilet, mostly to gain the approval of my parents and grandparents. I don't remember ever being without some level of protection, including being fully diapered at night and when toileting would be difficult. Constipation never became a serious problem again.

I remember being potty trained at a early age, was terrified of toilets, had really bad constipation when young. Now my gut goes wild either uncontrolable bm's due to loose stool or horrible constipation.

 

[Turfy]

OMG Wow! I thought this was a unique to me thing, but apparently not! I too had problems with constipation as a kid, and parents who didn’t understand my ASD!

It always causes me extreme discomfort, and has led to life long problems and disfunctions.

 

[LittleScotty]

I held my poop far longer than was healthy. I remember how it hurt. Chronic constipation for me and frustration for both my parents and myself resulted. I was about four.

I was potty trained around age two but when I was four I starting doing exactly this, as well as trying to hold my pee. It resulted in my doctor referring me to the hospital and when I was five years old I spent a week undergoing tests and observations. It was deemed psychological and I was referred to a psychologist. It did mean that I wore nappies and pull ups until I was ten years old when I simply grew out of it apparently.

 

[Frungie]

There are two types of encopresis: Encopresis with constipation and overflow incontinence and Encopresis without constipation and overflow incontinence. The former can cause megacolon and stretch and damage the anal sphincter. Far better to mess your diaper rather than withhold a BM for days and days out of fear of a toilet.

 

[OldTerry]

There are two types of encopresis: Encopresis with constipation and overflow incontinence and Encopresis without constipation and overflow incontinence. The former can cause megacolon and stretch and damage the anal sphincter. Far better to mess your diaper rather than withhold a BM for days and days out of fear of a toilet.

You summarise well. I had the former type needing constant nappies and episodes of bowel clearance. But alongside that counselling was essential