11 year old pooping pants all the time

My nephew is 11 years old.  He is always pooping his pants and he smells all the time.  His parents have taken him to the doctors in the past.  The doctors gave them medicine to give my nephew  three times a day and they are supposed to give him an enima once a day at night.  They are not consistant with the treatment so it has not helped any.  When my nephew was younger he would hold his bowels as long as he could.  What happened over time is his bowels get very hard because he holds them so long and now his colon is stretched out.  (according to the doctors)  When my nephew is asked why he does this he replies by saying he doesn't know.  He is no longer allowed a day care because he can't keep his pants clean.  I don't know what the problem is but he he is getting older and the problem isn't improving.  If anyone has some information on what I should do, or if you have some insight on what could be causing an 11 year old to poop his pants I would love to hear it.  I would love to smack some sense in to his parents but I don't know if it is my place or not.  I can't figure out if this is mental or physical.  Please help with some information.  

[RockRose]

It sounds like the doctor was describing encopresis.  

If so,  he needs fiber.  When he says he doesn't know why this is happening,  it's because he really can't predict when this will happen.

I can't imagine parents not being concerned enough about this to follow doctor's orders!  

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/WELCOME/conditions/encopresis.html

[Nuttigar]

Right up from the age of 5 till 11 I pooped my pants, I had no way of controlling it, and never really felt that I had done it until after I had soiled myself, it was very traumatic for me as it always happened at school and I never had a change of undies and noone helped me, I had to stay in those undies....I kept a jumper on most days even in the hottest weather in case I soiled to cover my lower area up, and actually thought I was blocking the smell..I didnt do it for attention and I wasnt lazy, I was a smart kid and I was happy, but I was molested by my stepdad and an unknown woman.....I believe that my soiling stems from that, today I live in a denial that it ever happened, I wouldnt wish that shame and discomfort on anyone, you can feel so alone and degraded.

[wilhemlscream]

I did the same thing when I was 3 till just before I tuned 5. It would happen during nap time. I knew it would happen when I watched "The Price is Right" (on 2 hours before it would happen)  and I did not want to have an accident but would still have them during nap time ( 2 year old brother did it too @ the same time) . I would get up to go to the bathroom but, I had to travel though a long hallway, the kitchen and another long hallway before I got to the bathroom. But, I would poop my pants before I even left my room. There was even a time I called my mom to take to use the bathroom but, she didn't here me and I pooped my pants. I happened once @ pre-school during nap time because I was scared to get off my cot and didn't know if the teacher would get mad if I got up(she wasnt and changed my pants). I grew out of it like some kids do).
I'll be 29 this year and hope to have two boys and two girls (when I'm ready) and help them when they have this problem. I will also help my niece or nephew (if I ever have a niece/nephew) with this problem.

[3samjordan]

My son is now 11 and still soils himself. His father and I are seperated  (5 Years) we have week on week off.  My son had problems with his bowels before he was two and was admitted to hospital before the age of 2 with queries of a bowel disease.  He had xrays and barium enimas and we had to hold him down on the floor and physically take the bowel motion out of him it was like a rock, he couldn't pass it on his own and after that he would hide behind the couch whenever he felt a bowel motion coming and we would have to do the same thing.  This has to of had an effect on him I know, I just want an answer to how to fix this for him.  His father would rather rub his nose in it, which he has done before, I know he has a problem , help!!

[stepmomatwitsend550]

My boyfriends son is 10 years old and still poops his pants as well, I'm getting frustrated with it because i thought he was just lazy, after reading on this site today, i am hoping to get him help. he also don't mind the smell and the dirtyness of it, he don't try to hide it, but will lie about it being him, he tries to blame his 7 year old brother, when the smell is him and all his clothes have poop in them. I started making him clean the clothes in the bath tub before i will even wash them, i do his clothes seperate from everyone elses because the smell just don't seem to go away no mattter how much soap and bounce you use.i pick him up from school and he stinks, he told me the teacher said that the whole class needs to start wearing deoderant because they are growing, and i asked him if it was because he smells like poop and he got mad and said he don't stink. it's a every day thing, weekends he will do it 2-3 times a day and we make him shower and clean up. then within a few hours he stinks again. his bed room reaks i don't know how his brother can stand it, he is 7 and has no problems going on the potty. His brother does had adhd and is coping well, i'm lost at what to do with him. i have a 17.14. 8 year old sons myself and never have had this problem with them either,.

[singledadoftwo]

I am lost. My 11 year old son poops himself up to 3 times a day. He doesn't care if he is dirty. He doesn't çlean himself and change. Whenever I ask if he has he lies about it until I ask to see his underwear then he breaks down crying and says only a little, which is not a little. He has been to the doctor and been given a clean bill of health. I don't know what to do anymore. I am frustrated and at my wits end. Can anyone help me? Please?

[carlivi]

hello everyone, my niece is 13 years old and has the same problem, poop a little in her clothes and she doesnt clean, is like she doesnt care about it. When she goes to school her classmates call her crazy and dirty because they smell her. Whatever we take her to many doctors most of them agree like this is something psycology. After many years try here and there, we find a psycology who found out the problem is call encopresis. She is working with her and the change is around 60 or 70% in less then 2 weeks. We are very happy, if this help you find more information about it.

Good luck

[maskins95]

So far I see allot of families are having this same problem, I would like to see some answers from a professional that has really helped someone.  It seems to be more common in boys.  Our therapist says our son is showing signs of
regression.

[crg02770]

well my son is ten and is doing the same and i am keeping everything constant with him but nothin is working with him either and i am about to pull my hair out trying to figure it out and all my doctors can say is it is a behavioral issue and i am being driven crazying thinking it must make me a bad mom not knowing what is wrong. if you find out anything please let me know too.

[seedofchucky69]

My 11 yr old daughter has recently started pooping and peeing in her bed, as well she has started to pee on the furniture.
What is puzzling is the effort she will make to cover it up. We recently discovered she had pooped in her bed and immediately afterwards had taken the fecal matter to the bathroom and pretended to poop in the toilet and then told us she had used the toilet.
Shortly after we discovered she had in fact pooped in her bed and took it to the bathroom.
She had recently been put on fluexotine for her skin picking and now my mother in law is saying it is because of the medication which i disagree with.
Keep in mind my 11 yr old has Global Developemental delay.
Does anyone agree that these two factors are the cause of this
Please help

[Sandman2]

    The fact that she tried to cover it up would tell me that it was unintentional.  I answered your question about the medication on the ADHD forum.

[wachiori]

My son is eight and well needless to say the problem is the same. I have been to the doctors, first they diagnosed him with chronic constipation, then we had to take him to er for edema once. i make him do foods with fiber and take water with every meal, send him to the bathroom as often as I can but he still does it. Like you it was about just driving me crazy thinking how a bad mom I am, but his sister who is three uses the bathroom in order. So I figured we have a problem and I gotta have to support him and i know we will come to the end of this. Besides alot of prayers and crying to God who will ultimately heal him, I have recently started taking him to the chiropractor and we are going through sessions to see if this helps. It is tough but we gotta get through it, together EAW