Few topics spark more controversy than potty training, a developmental milestone that, in the age of social media, has become a competitive sport. Now the UK government has weighed in with a campaign asserting it’s “best” for children to ditch diapers between 18 and 30 months of age. The campaign, while well-meaning, spells bad news for kids and, ironically, good news for the diaper industry.

Children with encopresis, nighttime wetting, and/or daytime enuresis absolutely can overcome these conditions and the chronic constipation that is the root cause.

Potty-training struggles at age 2 or 3 are a giant red flag for chronic constipation and should not be dismissed ("no worries, she'll outgrow it") or treated as a psychological issue.

By Steve Hodges, M.D. It's a myth that Ex-Lax is unsafe for children with chronic constipation. Parents often ask me how long children...

I’ve treated enuresis and encopresis for 20+ years, and if there’s a one insight I could share, it’s this: Miralax won’t cut it.

We covered poop and pee withholding, bladder medication, Ex-Lax and Miralax, a recurrence of accidents in a teenager, and explosive pee acci

When I explain to parents that their child’s bedwetting and daytime accidents are caused by constipation — not an underdeveloped bladder, de

Poop smears, aka “skid marks,” aren’t caused by a failure to use toilet paper; rather, they signal the child’s rectum is harboring stool an

By Steve Hodges, M.D. If there’s one critical lesson I’ve learned in my 20+ years of medical practice, it’s this: Encopresis and enuresis...

By Steve Hodges, M.D. In my clinic and my private Facebook support group, parents often ask: When will my child start pooping on their...