In his chat with psychotherapist Chananya Abraham, Dr. Hodges answered: • Can you speed up potty training by having your child wear underwear instead of diapers so they can “feel the wetness”? •How do you know when your child is ready to potty train? •Can you really resolve constipation with dietary improvements? •How can you prompt children to poop when the urge strikes? What does it mean to “fully empty,” and why does that matter? •What are the subtle signs of constipation parents should look for? •Is it true that deep sleep and urine overproduction are causes of bedwetting? LISTEN HERE ..read more

By Steve Hodges, M.D., Even the world’s best poopers, children and adults alike, can get constipated while traveling. Unfamiliar toilets, long car rides, airport security lines, time-zone changes, erratic schedules, more ice cream and fewer veggies — travel poses many obstacles to pooping daily, promptly, and completely. If the urge strikes when you’re in a canoe or on a tour bus, you’re going to override it by clenching that sphincter. If you’re forced to poop in an airplane restroom, with a line of antsy passengers crowding the aisle, you’re likely to rush. And if you’re a child with ..read more

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 must be taken seriously and treated aggressively.   Doctors routinely underestimate the distress that poop accidents and wetting accidents cause families, and they continue to push useless treatments, such as endless doses of PEG 3350 (aka the Miralax merry-go-round). Medical providers assume most kids will eventually “outgrow” accidents and (I’m guessing) don’t feel an urgency to step up treatment because, well, accidents aren’t life-threatening. &nb ..read more

By Steve Hodges, M.D.   Recently I appeared as a guest on The Hamilton Review, a podcast hosted by Dr. Bob Hamilton, the affable pediatrician who created the “Hamilton Hold” method for soothing crying babies.   During our enjoyable half hour, Dr. Hamilton and I chatted about enuresis (bedwetting and daytime wetting) and encopresis (poop accidents), common symptoms of chronic constipation. At one point, he asked, “Are you saying there’s a lot of constipation that’s going unrecognized by parents and doctors?”   Yes! That’s what I have been saying for two decades!   In fact ..read more

Listen to popular parenting podcaster and pediatrician Bob Hamilton, M.D., creator of the "Hamilton Hold" method of soothing crying babies, interview Dr. Hodges! The two doctors talked about: •The patient who changed Dr. Hodges’ career and thinking about constipation •Why Dr. Hodges started x-raying his bedwetting patients •Why chronic constipation in children is usually overlooked •The definition problem with the term “constipation” •Why bladder medication is more effective when a child’s constipation is treated •Why Dr. Hodges believes that having a child wear diapers until around age 3 is ..read more

Dr. Jessica Hochman of "Ask Dr. Jessica" chats with Dr., Hodges about: •How a child can poop every day and still be constipated •The most accurate definition of “constipation” •Why the “genetic” explanation for bedwetting often sabotages treatment •Why bedwetting is “never normal” and should be treated even in 4- and 5-year-olds •How x-rays can be used to confirm constipation •That children do not have accidents “on purpose” or because they’re “lazy” Listen HERE ..read more

Emily Saunders of "Healthy Discourse" chatted with Dr. Hodges about: •Why poop withholding is common among kids •Why so many kids become constipated despite eating a "clean" diet •The lesser-known signs of constipation that parents should be aware of •Why parents should never dismiss accidents as a "phase" •Why Miralax falls short for resolving constipation in kids with enuresis Listen to the podcast here ..read more

By Steve Hodges, M.D. Nearly every parent who walks into my clinic asks: “All my friends' kids outgrew bedwetting, so why hasn’t mine?” I also hear this question often in our private Facebook support group. For example, a mom wrote: If bedwetting is caused by constipation, why does it seem that some kids really do grow out of it? I've had so many people tell me that one day, their kid just started waking up dry. My 7-year-old wets the bed and has soiling problems, too, so we are fully on board with M.O.P. But my 5-year-old, who also wets the bed, has consistently soft poops and doesn’t appear ..read more

By Steve Hodges, M.D. Parents ask me excellent questions about treating enuresis and encopresis. If your child is struggling with accidents, whether daytime or nighttime, you may have the same questions. Here's a round-up of recent queries sent via email or posted in our private Facebook support groups. Q: My son is 5 and has urinary incontinence. He’s on a low dose of Miralax daily, but I still think he’s constipated. I’m considering M.O.P. but wondering: Is it possible to avoid enemas? My son is terrified of them. A: I would never say rectal therapy is “absolutely necessary” for enuresis, a ..read more

By Steve Hodges, M.D. On the subject of bedwetting, there’s a massive amount of false information floating around the universe. But I was particularly dismayed the other day by this headline: Study Ties Teenage Bedwetting to Cyberbullying. First off, no such study exists. Second, the article, published by Uken Report, a California “online news and marketing platform,” reinforces the myth that bedwetting is caused by stress or anxiety — a myth that prevents kids from receiving effective medical treatment. READ: Nope, “Stress” and "Anxiety" Aren't Causes of Bedwetting or Potty Accidents Th ..read more