What causes encopresis?

What causes encopresis?

Encopresis can be caused by:

• Constipation.
• An underlying medical condition.
• Psychological causes.

Constipation

The most common cause of encopresis is constipation. When a child experiences constipation, it’s difficult to have a bowel movement because their stool is dry and hard inside their colon and it can be painful to pass.

When children withhold or delay going to the bathroom, stool builds up in their colon. This makes the child’s colon grow larger, making it hard for them to feel when it is time to have a bowel movement. Liquid stool might leak out around harder stool, and parents might mistake this for diarrhea.

Encopresis with constipation is called “retentive encopresis.”

Underlying medical conditions

Encopresis could be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. Possible conditions that have encopresis as a symptom include:

• Colonic inertia: The colon doesn’t move stool as it should.
• Digestive tract nerve damage: Muscles at the end of the digestive tract (anus) don’t close properly.
• Hirschsprung disease: Nerve endings in the bowel are missing, which causes a blockage of the intestine so stool can’t pass.
• Infection or tear in the rectum.
• Dehydration (not drinking enough water).
• Malnutrition or diet consisting of too much fat and sugar.

Psychological causes

Encopresis could be the result of emotional stress, behavioral challenges or fear that affects the actions of your child. Psychological causes could include:

• The child is busy playing and doesn’t want to stop to go to the bathroom.
• Fear of the toilet.
• Stressful events in the child’s life, such as starting school.
• Availability of a toilet, especially a private one, or not wanting to use a public toilet.
• Oppositional defiant disorder: A pattern of disobedience toward authority figures.
• Behavioral problems: Your child has difficulty following rules or meeting social expectations.