What is encopresis?
It is defined as the repetitive, voluntary or involuntary, passage of stool in inappropriate places by children of 4 years of age and older to exercise bowel control. Approximately 4% of all the children 4-17 years of age will experience encopresis.
What causes encopresis?
Many children with encopresis have underlying constipation. Stool accumulates in the rectum and becomes desiccated, more difficult and painful to pass.
Children who develop encopresis may develop abnormal stretching and enlargement of the rectal area that reduces the reflux urge to stool.
The impacted stool mass allows upstream semisolid stool to leak around the downstream stool obstruction causing soiling in clothes. Occasional chunks of the stool are passed without child’s desire.
What are the symptoms of encopresis?
Children with encopresis may successfully stool every day and evacuation of their bowel is incomplete.
Encopretic children commonly defecate in places inappropriate to the social context.
Children with encopresis seem oblivious to either stool staining of their clothes or the heavy clothes odour they produce.
Is Encopresis a mental disorder?
Encopresis is less common than enuresis. Approximately 1% of 5-year-old children suffer from Encopresis. About 3% of all children treated for a mental disorder meet the criteria for the condition. Encopresis is more common in males than in females.
Is Encopresis a medical condition?
Encopresis is the soiling of underwear with stool by children who are past the age of toilet training. Because each child achieves bowel control on his or her own, doctors do not consider stool soiling to be a medical condition unless the child is at least 4 years old.
How do you treat Encopresis?
There should be a re-establishing of the bowel evacuation regimen and the development of a program to ensure the maintenance of stool elimination pattern.
Breastfeeding infants have stooling problems when compared with formula-fed peers.
Diluted juice will promote a softer and increased volume stool.
An adequate intake of water, as well as activity, will promote colonic health.
The establishment of a daily routine of toilet time has been shown to be very helpful.
What are commonly indicated Homeopathy remedies for Encopresis?
-Sil
-Thuja
-Abrotanum
