Back-to-school can be a stressful time for kids and their parents: new teachers, new classmates and sometimes, new problems like constipation. One link between back-to-school and constipation? Many children choose to "hold it in" rather than poop in school bathrooms. In a recent survey of boys and girls ages 6-11, nearly two-thirds (64.6 percent) said that they rarely or never poop in school bathrooms. In fact, nearly 40 percent always or often choose to withhold bowel movements rather than go at school.

Why does it matter when kids go? Well, when kids can't or won't use the bathroom, the colon absorbs water from the stool, making it hard and dry. Intercepting this bad habit of withholding is important because continuing to resist the urge to go can cause the brain to begin to ignore the urge as well. This avoidance of going to the bathroom is the one of the most common causes of constipation in children over 18 months of age – and it's a situation that typically worsens with changes to a routine such as back-to-school.

It may be surprising to learn that children choose to hold it in, but kids avoid school bathrooms for many reasons. School bathrooms aren't as clean or private as those at home, and because the time between classes is so short, kids admit that there often simply isn't enough time to go.

At the start of the school year, time can be an even bigger factor than the rest of the year. During summer, kids become accustomed to a more flexible schedule, and it's likely that their bodies have adapted, too. Back-to-school time, however, means kids need to adjust. Along with new classes, come new rules, and kids can get nervous about taking too many bathroom breaks. It's a situation where making friends and learning a new structure trumps the body's needs, and school rules and activities do little to allow kids the freedom to go. With other people around and a limited amount of time until the next class or activity, kids simply won't go. Unfortunately, while they don't worry about their bathroom habits, you do.

What can you do about it? In the end, it's really up to them, so be supportive and make it a problem you can talk about. Tell your child to ask to be excused while the class is working silently, to help your child find a few private minutes to go.

If your child does start to show signs of constipation, you can take proactive steps to provide relief. Remember to increase fiber in your child's diet. Encourage him or her to drink plenty of water, and if necessary, use a product like Pedia-Lax which offers a variety of kid-friendly laxatives for quick, overnight or gradual relief.

Now that you've done your homework, you and your family are ready for a healthy school year.

Belinda Basaca, M.D.
Pediatrician, New Health Pediatrics

Source: Fleet proprietary research, April 2008.

More Advice from Dr. B. >>