Children with incontinence problems are more likely to have behavioural and emotional difficulties as compared to other children. Soiling due to loss of control over the bladder or bowel is a common childhood problem causing a great deal of distress to children and their families, but this problem is not given enough attention. As a result many parents are unaware that they should bring this to their pediatrician's attention. Researchers from the University of Bristol analysed 8,242 British children of ages 7- 8 years. The children were interviewed about their behaviour, friends, self-esteem and bullying, and their parents completed questionnaires on a range of childhood behavioural and emotional problems. Based on parents' reports, about 1 percent of the children soiled themselves once a week or more, while another 5 percent did so less frequently. It was found that children in both of these groups also had more behavioural and emotional symptoms, but those who soiled frequently were particularly at risk. About 20 percent of the children with frequent incontinence had some developmental delay, compared with only 7 percent of children with milder soiling problems and 3 percent of those without incontinence. Children with fecal incontinence were more likely to have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and conduct problems like oppositional-defiant disorder. They were also more likely to either be victims of bullying or being bullies themselves than their peers. The findings suggest that children with soiling problems often have psychological difficulties. Fecal incontinence in older children is often related to constipation. The researchers say that it's likely that a complex mix of dietary, genetic, biological and psychological factors also come into play. The bottom line for parents is that they should seek help for their children's incontinence early on.
Pediatrics,
May 2006