Holding Poo and Fear of the Toilet

Some children develop a habit of holding poo and fear of the toilet from a very young age. Unfortunately, this can lead to constipation and impaction problems. Consequently, lots of visits to the GP and or Consultant may follow with little success. All this can be very upsetting for the child involved.

What causes Poo Holding?

It is not fully understood why children do this, but in my experience, it comes from fear. There may have been a history of a tiny tear in the bottom. If this has happened when the child is very small, they will not consciously remember this. But the subconscious mind will not have forgotten and the child will feel anxious at the thought of going to the toilet. There may have been some other incidents around toilet use. Again the child will not be able to recall this consciously.