This disorder can give rise of emotional stress and embarrassment in social settings.

Physical complications include abdominal pain, bladder infections, and appetite loss resulting from impacted stool in the intestine.


University of Texas at Austin

This is a type of elimination disorder. Encopresis is the repeated passing of stool, that is usually involuntary, into clothing.

Encopresis

“Stanford Medicine Children's Health.” Stanford Medicine Children's Health - Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=encopresis-90-P01992. 

Symptoms of this disorder include:
- Leakage of stool or liquid stool on underwear (can be mistaken for diarrhea)
- Constipation with dry, hard stool
- Passage of large stool that clogs or almost clogs the toilet
- Avoidance of bowel movements
- Long periods of time between bowel movements
- Lack of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Problems with daytime wetting or bedwetting (enuresis)
- Repeated bladder infections, typically in girls

Symptoms of Encopresis

Current treatment interventions for this disorder include:

- Clearing the colon of impacted stool (laxatives, rectal suppositories, enemas)
- Encouraging healthy bowel movements through dietary changes (increased fiber and fluids) and bowel movement training
- Short trial of cow's milk elimination from diet
- Behavior modification (bowl retraining)

Treatments for Encopresis

Causes of encopresis include chronic constipation and emotional issues.

Causes of constipation include:

- Withholding stool due to fear of using the toilet (especially when away from home) or because passing stool is painful
- Not wanting to interrupt play or other activities
- Eating too little fiber
- Not drinking enough fluids

Emotional Stress may result from:

- Premature, difficult or conflict-filled toilet training
- Changes in life, such as dietary changes, toilet training, starting school or schedule changes
- Emotional stressors such as the divorce of a parent or the birth of a sibling

Causes of Encopresis

Certain factors can increase the risk of developing this disorder. Such factors include:
- Having a high fat, sugar, and junk food diet
- Drinking an excessive amount of soft and sugary drinks (most of one's liquid intake is this)
- Not drinking adequate amounts of water and fruit juice
- Not having enough exercise
- Not using public restrooms (not wanting to)
- Feeling stressed with/around family or friends (or school)
- Changing a bathroom routine (change in routine because of the start to a new school year compared to the routine one had during summer break)

Risk Factors for Encopresis

This disorder is diagnosed using:
- an abdominal X-ray to see how much stool is in the large intestine of the  patient
- Barium enema to check for any blockages or obstruction in the intestine (as was as strictures or other problems)

Barium is a fluid that shows up well on X-ray scans and is inserted into the patient's rectum through a tube.

Diagnosis of Encopresis

Complications of Encopresis

If the disorder is rooted in the issues caused by another disorder, treating  the initial disorder would be a preventative measure.

Avoiding any emotional upsets when a child is toilet training is also a preventative measure. Toilet training should also be initiated only when the children is both emotionally and physically ready. Working towards regular bowel movements through diet changes (high fiber and limitation of high fat or sugar foods) as well as ensuring the child gets enough water and exercise can prevent this disorder.

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