9 year boy deficate in his pants

[Nikitos]

I am a single mom with 9 year old son who is doing number two in his pants few times a week. It has began after my husband left us. I would be happy to supply all nessesary details.
Please help.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Emotionally-based encopresis is a rather unusual condition, though it can occur. The most frequent reason for soiling is impacted bowels. Consequently, if you have not already done so, arrange an evaluation with his pediatrician. The doctor may order a KUB, which is an x-ray of the kidney/ureter/bladder and can provide a view of the hard stool that is blocking the passage of feces in the rectum. Impacted bowel results from chronic constipation and requires medical intervention and this might solve the problem. The constipation might be related to the family situation, but not necessarily.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

When children experience any significant change in their environment, particularly the loss of a parent through death or a change in the marital relationship, they can regress for a time and go back a bit in their development in some fashion. It is not out of the question that this is occurring with your son, particularly if he had been completely toilet trained prior to the more recent behavior. Since you have checked him out medically, a sensible step would be to consult with a pediatric mental health clinician.

[finkaz]

as a teacher of pupils with emotional/and or behavioural diffuculties i have come across this problem many times and some  of the cases i have seen  is in children older than yours.  All the children i have witnessed do this as an emotional response, ie to bullying or to emotional difficulties in the homelife.  If your child has been checked out by a doctor and he had no difficulties before you can bet your bottom dollar it is because of the emotional difficulties he has experienced he will with lots of love and cuddles and when he starts to feel secure again, stop this.

[Nikitos]

Thank you for your comment. Full evaluation has been done and no abnormalities were found. Please recommend next step.

[ndc]

Hi

It does seem very coincidental that this started to occur after the separation.

I can only give you my personal experience.  My nephew took to wetting the bed for a good long time after his mum and dad divorced when he was 8.  His brother who was 10 didn't have the same reaction.

Once everything had settled down (12 months or so) and the little lad had come to terms with it abit more, this went away by itself.

The fact all physical evaluation has come up ok points to a reaction to trauma.

Please bear in mind that although this split is in the best interests of the adults involved (and even if it is in the best long term interest of the children) this is still very traumatic for them.  They need to understand how this is going to work for them and will still maintain the relationship they had with both parents now they are no longer living together.

I know we are quick to seek professional psychiatric help, and maybe it is necessary, but sometimes we expect children to act like mini adults and incidents like these maybe remind us they are still children.