[Witchipoo]

Help! We are having problems with DD1 going to the toilet.

DD1 just turned 5. About two months ago she started having a lot of accidents. She would either do a wee while standing in front of the toilet or get a few drops in her knickers before she got them off completely. We drummed it into her that she has to go as soon as she needs to and not to wait. These accidents do not happen anymore.

However, a few weeks ago we were at a friends house and I noticed a wet spot where DD1 had been sitting. I asked her if she had done wees and she kept telling me that she hadn't. I took her to the toilet anyway and her knickers were soaking and there was also poos! She told me that she didn't know that she had done it A few nights ago while out at another friends house she came running up to me and was jiggling around. She took her knickers off and there was poos in there. She said that she didn't know that she needed to go and that it just happened. (Both friends are like family and she is very familiar with their houses so I don't think being at someone else's house had anything to do with it)

Is she being lazy, too busy playing or does she really not know that she needs to go?

She has always left going to the toilet till the last minute and every hour or so I'm asking her if she needs to go. If it's been a while between visits and she won't go I take her by the hand and make her sit on the toilet and she nearly always does a big wee.

She did have an inginual (sp?) hernia which was operated on when she was 4 weeks old. At about 2 years old she had an UTI which was treated with antibiotics and then a year later she had an ultrasound because she kept complaining of having a sore vagina and stomach. Everything on the ultrasound was normal. Could any of this have something to do with her having accidents or her not knowing that she needs to go?

Any help/suggestions/stories that this is completely normal and that she will grow out of it would be greatly appreciated.


TIA

[jrmama]

Can you take your daughter to the GP to rule out a medical cause. I'd be first of all getting her urine checked as a starting point to be sure that she doesn't have another urinary tract infection. The urine isn't always offensive smelling with a UTI.
If nothing medical seems to be found then perhaps it might be worth seeing a childrens continence clinic.
Not sure if its worth a visit to your early child health nurse (its a bit hit and miss with some of them, but if your lucky enough to have a good one they may have some useful advice/suggestions
Hope all goes well for your DD and it all settles down without you having to get any sort of help

[froggy1]

I'd also second getting a check up with a GP - you'll need to rule out anything medical like an infection or anything that is making her bladder feel weaker than usual. Good luck

[Sue Heck]

I think you need to rule out constipation. It can definitely cause the things you are describing and it's often missed as children are still pooing but it's from overflow instead of an urge to go.
Also food intolerances is something else to consider not necessarily additives as sometime natural foods can be the problem.
It may be something else and only a medical check will be able to confirm but that was our experience and it wasn't easy to pick.

[ms flib]

I'd be off to the GP straight away.

Good luck!

[Princess.cranky....]

Agree with a trip to the GP to rule out infections. But they usually won't do anything more or make referrals about toileting problems until 6.

I don't think accidents at 5 is that uncommon. My DD1 was the same at 5 as did quite a few of the preps. She would often do little bits of poo all day long and it was because she wouldn't push the poo out. She hated the pushing sensation.

It's also normal going to the toilet till the last minuet and they then have an accident. They are just so absorbed what they are doing and don't want to stop playing. DD was like that.

The only thing that really stopped the accidents with DD was support from her teacher. The teacher had a chat with DD and gave her points if she didn't have any accidents. Worked a treat.

[Kemismum]

Please see a GP.

They will refer her on if required.

It could be constipation or something else. Constipation especially needs to be ruled out as a cause.

My DD is 4.5 and has daily accidents due to encopresis caused by constipation. She no longer has the urge to go and therefore leaks. She has been under the care of a Paed for this for over a year and we are still working on it.

[Anlawich]

My friend's DD who recently turned 5 was having a lot of accidents as well as UTIs. The cause was constipation.