New Studies
Soiling / Encopresis

More recent studies put encopresis as a more "evacuation release disorder" ie: difficulty in controlling the release of stools.

Up to 40% of children with encopresis can have "rectal hyposensitivity". That is they have less awareness of stool in the rectum and hence difficulty controlling its release.

Some 30 to 50% of children with difficult to control encopresis have an ineffective evacuation due to contraction of the muscle of around the anus (anal sphincter) when attempting to pass. Normally the anus should relax to allow the passage.

These features may be a consequence of encopresis however they shed light on encopresis and its cause as not just being simply due to constipation.