10 yr old boy still pooping in his underwear

[lwystat73]

My 10 year old is still pooping in his underwear. It mainly happens at home but has happened at school one time. He doesn't act like it bothers him. He hides it, lies about it,  gets mad about it, and even says that he doesn't know why he can't make it to the bathroom. There have been times that he has told me that it happens when he is on his way to the bathroom.  It's almost as though he doesn't even recognize the urge to go poop. I have had him checked out by the doctor.
I have used positive reinforcement strategies. I have even taken priviIeges away for two weeks at a time. If he poops in the toilet every day he can use his DS or PS 2 or 3 but if he poops in his underwear then he loses that privilege for one week. If he poops in his underwear during that week then he cannot earn back the privilege of his DS or PS2/3 for another week. I have tried everything I can think of to break this nasty habit. I have him bathe or shower immediately, clean his underwear, and take the dirty underwear and jeans to the washer.
He is a smart boy who makes good grades in school and is a good boy overall. There hasn't been any sexual abuse and his father and I have been married for 12 years. Is he acting out? Could it be a neurological problem or other issue? I am really uncertain what to do at this point? Help!


This discussion is related to How can I get my almost 11 yr old to stop poopin his pants!??.

[questions29]

Hi! wow! Your experience sounds just like mine with my 10 year old, exactly the same about the pooping and the DS, PS, etc.  He'll get punished for 1 week without any video games., etc.

Did you figure out what was wrong with your boy? I think I am gonna try the Mirolax, and see what happens.

[mammo]

Has your son seen a pediatric gastroenterologist?  If not he should. I don't feel he is  doing this on purpose and I would not punish him.  Until he has been thoroughly examined by a GI doctor.  There are a couple of things that can cause this, so I would have him evaluated, and go from there.  As exasperating as it is for you, it is also for him, and obviously causes him a lot of work.

[michele223]

My seven yr old was doing this for awhile. He was also having behavior issues at the time. However, I took him to a psychologist who specializes in encopresis. She had me make a chart with the number of times he tried to sit and poop and the number of successful poops he made in a day. There were seven rows for each day of the week and I just put an x in the box if he sat. Then we did a poop journal for a few weeks with the description of the poops. soft,  hard , little, big, med, and the dates and times. Okay that helped to develop a pattern. We also started mirolax. Like a half a lid ful in his drink every few days in the beginning. (at first it was messy)Then we went to once a week and then every other week etc. till we got to a good place. It ended up he was constipated. I didn't know this but the poop was leaking around the backed up poop. They lose the feeling to need to go because the muscles get weak. It comes out in the pants. We were finding poop everywhere. The registers, carpet, walls, hamper, toilet seats, underwear etc. It was so bad. He was actually picking it to help it come out. Then he would get it on his hands and then it would get elsewhere. I was so upset and always disciplining him but really I discovered he couldn't help it. When I notice it getting in his pants or see it in the shower I know to get out the mirolax again. I hope this helps.