If there’s one thing that really gets me laughing it’s poop jokes. But we all know it’s no joking matter. Women have a lot of bathroom issues (cue the Activia commercial jingle), and it’s possible all of those problems started when we were kids. Pedia-Lax sponsored a survey of 512 boys and girls ages 6-11 and found that 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 “hold it in” rather than use the school bathroom. 

For some children, the result is acute constipation. The most common cause of this condition in children older than 18 months is avoiding going to the bathroom.

It’s no wonder though…it’s difficult enough as an adult to get past bathroom issues, especially in a bathroom with three stalls, doors that don’t go all the way down to the floor, and cracks that others can see through. Add some kids and peer pressure to be cool to the mix and it’s a recipe for disaster—or the concoction to make any kid constipated.

“Back-to-school is a common trigger for childhood constipation,” said Belinda Basaca, M.D. of New Health Pediatrics, PC. in Glen Cove, N.Y. “When kids choose to hold their stool in, the colon absorbs the water out of the stool, which makes it hard and dry. If this behavior persists, children’s brains can even start to ignore the urge to go to the bathroom.”

And thus the cycle continues to adulthood. Sigh.

The most cited reasons for why children dislike pooping in the school bathroom is:

  • 45.8 percent said “no privacy”
  • 23.8 percent said “not enough time”
  • 18.8 percent said “the bathroom is dirty”
  • 7.8 percent said “other”
  • 3.7 percent said “don’t have the right kind of toilet paper”

So what do we do? Besides petition for better, more private loos, you can help ease your child’s bathroom anxiety with laxatives made just for kids. Thank god there are other options besides enemas!

“Parents can help address this withholding behavior and avoid constipation by taking a proactive approach,” said Dr. Basaca. “This includes encouraging your child to drink plenty of water; offering high-fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables; and setting up a regular toilet routine, especially after meals. If your child does suffer from constipation, over-the-counter medicine, like Pedia-Lax’s oral and rectal laxative options for children, can help parents successfully treat the issue.”

Signs of constipation may include:

  • Less than three bowel movements a week
  • Hard stools that are difficult to pass
  • Cramps, stomachaches, or nausea
  • Rectal bleeding (this symptom might be a sign of a serious condition, consult your pediatrician)
  • Urinary incontinence, frequent urination, or bed-wetting (these symptoms might be signs of a serious condition, consult your pediatrician)
  • Soiling (often confused with diarrhea)

“The results of the survey confirm that many children are not comfortable going to the bathroom at school,” said Dr. Basaca. “While it’s difficult to change the way kids feel about school bathrooms, parents can help them by being mindful of this issue and making good bathroom habits a priority at home.”

Pedia-Lax also just came out with a new line of oral laxatives just for kids in case your child is afflicted with constipation. Pedia-Lax Quick Dissolve Strips provide overnight relief in convenient, single dose strips with a great tasting grape flavor. The strips start to melt instantly on the tongue so kids can't spit them out, making it easy to give them the right dose, every time. They also have chewable tablets in a watermelon flavor and a liquid in a fruit punch-flavored liquid that mixes easily with juice or milk.

And that’s the straight poop…um, scoop!

More information is available at www.pedia-lax.com.