My 5-year-old son has hard stools and does not inform us when he poops. Why is it so?

Question

Hi doctor,

My 5-year-old son does not tell me when he poops in his pants. He does this three to four times a day, and we need to keep checking again. Is there any issue with his stomach? Also, he has hard stools in the morning. Please explain.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

As per your description, this issue is prevalent in cases of constipation. I would suggest doing the following,

Please give the child Duphalac (Lactulose) 10 ml twice a day for ten days along with plenty of water.
Reduce the intake of bread and bread products, milk, chocolates, and chips.
Increase the intake of water for long-term benefits with regards to constipation.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

The term encopresis means loss of sensation of the passage of stools. The child will not be able to sense that he has passed stools in the pants. It occurs mainly with constipation and mostly resolves once constipation is resolved unless other pathologies are involved. Also, do not make the child over-conscious by shouting at him or repeatedly nagging him about his passing of stools in the pants. It may worsen matters. Another line of management that is done apart from Duphalac (Lactulose) uses a powder called MuOUT (Polyethylene Glycol 3350). However, I would reserve that for subsequent use if Duphalac does not work. Thank you.