8 yo likes soiling himself, sticking fingers in it after, even playing with it

[KermitMissesJim]

I don't know what to do about it; 8 is too old for this kind of behavior. I've tried to tell myself it's encopresis and it may be to some degree -- he may not know that he has soiled, but he sure knows afterwards. He does not clean himself up and will stick his fingers down there and then sniff them. He does this repeatedly each time. It's how I know he has soiled and he knows I've caught him.

This is completely unsanitary and, well, gross. He does very well in school and does not appear to have special needs. He has not been molested. Could it be a control issue? I told my midwife about it and she recommended a child therapist.

[BrooklynDoula]

I second that recommendation. I think this is an issue for a therapist to help you with. Sorry

[alexsam]

I agree with the pp. This is an issue for a therapist

[griffin2004]

Although a therapist is a good idea, I'd start w/ his ped first.

[FancyD]

Pede, then therapists. Have you asked him why he does this? I assume that peer pressure hasn't put a stop to it, hey?

[KermitMissesJim]

We're already treating him for encopresis with his doctor. When we go back in to have a follow-up, I will discuss it with him further.

I don't know why he does it. He's an angry kid sometimes, and I watch him struggle to get control of his emotions. I am a germaphobe. Maybe he does it to exert some control or to let me know he's mad at me, or his father. He finds many things fascinating; maybe poop is one of them. He's always liked poop, he used to try to collect animal specimens when we went on hikes, starting when he was 3. When he was 2 he used it as a medium for art on the wall!

Tactile, sensory? I just don't know.

[BellinghamCrunchie]

Functional encopresis is a little different from encopresis and its not all that uncommon. I agree that a psych might help figure out the reasons for the behavior: whether control, sensory, or fear-based.

Here's some more info:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/990415ap/2171.html

[Beth F]

This is going to sound out there. Mineral deficiency? Does he take a good multivitamin? Any food sensitivities? A friend's dd was 9 and still soiling. Turns out that it was a dairy sensitivity. Once all dairy was out of her diet, the soiling stopped. Her dd didn't go for the tactile and ofactory experience though.

If he needs sensory stimulation could you offer mashed potatoes to play with? Cornstarch mixed with water? Re-fried beans? Anything more sanitary! How about smelling essential oils to get a stronger sensory smell. I'm a bit of a germaphobe too.