General information, not an individual diagnosis. Ask a healthcare professional if you are unsure about your situation.
Prolonged constipation can lead to stool leakage: the rectum loses sensitivity and the child no longer controls stool passage. This is called encopresis. Soiled underwear therefore warrants assessment for a medical cause.
If your child starts soiling their underwear, arrange a medical appointment in the coming days. Fever, blood in the stool, pain when passing urine or weight loss requires assessment the same day.
Severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting that does not stop, or a swollen, tense and painful abdomen requires emergency care or an immediate call to 15 or 112 in France. Do not wait for a routine appointment.
Reassure your child and offer toilet time after a meal without making it a worrying obligation. A toilet seat reducer and a small footstool can provide stable support for the feet instead of leaving the child dangling from the seat.
Do not give a laxative without medical advice or use a thermometer to trigger a bowel movement. The doctor chooses care according to age and cause; prolonged treatment requires their advice.
For the appointment, prepare examples of stool leakage, pain and measures already tried. Ask how constipation will be assessed and when to return if soiling continues; an underlying illness may require further tests.
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