Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of encopresis may include:

• Leakage of stool or liquid stool on underwear, which can be mistaken for diarrhea
• Constipation with dry, hard stool
• Passage of large stool that clogs or almost clogs the toilet
• Avoidance of bowel movements
• Long periods of time between bowel movements
• Lack of appetite
• Abdominal pain
• Problems with daytime wetting or bedwetting (enuresis)
• Repeated bladder infections, typically in girls

When to see a doctor

Call your doctor if your child is already toilet trained and starts experiencing one or more of the symptoms listed above.