Soiling (encopresis)

A child who regularly soils past toilet-training age is usually not doing it on purpose, and punishing it does not help. The NHS explains that soiled pants can be a sign of constipation: runny poo leaks around a hard, constipated poo already inside, which is called overflow soiling. The child often cannot feel it happening or stop it. Because constipation can be treated, the practical step is to speak to your GP GP Your family doctor. For many families the GP is the first person to talk to, and the person who refers your child on to a specialist. Read the full definition of GP or health visitor Health visitor A health visitor is a nurse or midwife with extra training who works with families from pregnancy until a child turns five. They do the development reviews and you can contact them directly. Read the full definition of Health visitor rather than treating the soiling as behaviour. The medical name some professionals use is encopresis, and the charity ERIC specialises in children's bowel and bladder problems.