7 Facts About Encopresis - Causes and Symptoms

Encopresis, sometimes called fecal incontinence or soiling, is the repeated passing of stool into clothing. Typically it happens when impacted stool collects in the colon and rectum: the colon becomes too full and liquid stool leaks around the retained stool, staining underwear. Eventually, stool retention can cause swelling of the bowels and loss of control over bowel movements. Encopresis usually occurs after age 4, when the child has already learned to use a toilet. In most cases, soiling is a symptom of chronic constipation. Less frequently it occurs without constipation and may be the result of emotional issues.



Source

Causes
Most encopresis cases are due to constipation. The stool is hard, dry, and difficult to pass when a person is constipated. Many kids hold their BMs to avoid the pain they feel when they go to the bathroom, which sets the stage for having a poop accident. So to understand encopresis, it's important to understand constipation. There's a wide range of normal when it comes to having a BM. "Normal" pooping might range from one or two BMs per day to only three or four per week.

Symptoms
Pediatric gastroenterologists indicate that symptoms of constipation generally involve six characteristics of abnormal stooling present in infants and toddlers for at least one month and children 4 to 18 years of age for two months.

• Two or fewer bowel movements per week
• One episode of stool incontinence after mastering toilet-training skills
• A history of excessive stool retention which may be accompanied by characteristic retentive posturing in older children