No. 48; Updated November 2012 Click here to download and print a
PDF version of this document. Most children can control their
bowels and are toilet trained by the time they are four years of
age. Problems controlling bowel movements can cause soiling
which leads to frustration and anger on part of the child,
parents, teachers and other people important in the child's
life. In addition, social difficulties with this problem can be
severe -- the child is often made fun of by friends and avoided
by adults. These problems can cause children to feel badly about
themselves. Some of the reasons for soiling are: - problems
during toilet training - physical disabilities, which make it
hard for the child to clean him/herself - physical condition,
for example chronic constipation, Hirschprung's Disease - family
or emotional problems Soiling which is not caused by a physical
illness or disability is called encopresis. Children with
encopresis may have other problems, such as short attention
span, low frustration toleran