<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

FYI -- Our Houston Chronicle HOUSTON section on May 6 published a Q & A
Families Today article by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. that mentioned Celiac
Disease.



Q.                 "On occasion my 5-year-old son has bowel movements in
his underpants (during the day) and refuses to tell anyone until hours
later.  Could this be that he is "too busy" or "lazy" or could it be an
underlying problem?  This started a few months ago.



A.                  Sometimes this occurs when a child develops chronic
constipation.  As stools get larger and larger and are retained longer
and longer, the child's intestine stretches and is less able to respond
to the reflexes that normally stimulate a bowel movement.  As a result,
the child may have less control and may have bowel movements
unpredictably.



Though occasional constipation is common in young children, chronic
constipation can be a more serious problem.  In rare cases, constipation
can be caused by medical disorders, such as appendicitis, lead poisoning
or celiac disease, though usually other symptoms are present.  (The
underscores on "rare" and CD are mine just for emphasis. -- J)



But the fact that this started a few months ago, and in a child who had
previously been successfully toilet trained, makes me worry that there
has been a distressing event or a trauma that has led him to withhold
his stools.



Upsetting events that leave a child feeling that control has been taken
away, or with anger that he cannot express, sometimes leads to this kind
of trouble.  Another possibility is that your son may be telling you he
is facing a new challenge - or what we like to call a "touchpoint" -
that he does not yet feel ready to take on.



Your son must feel ashamed, and it will be important to help him save
face.  Don't put pressure on him to stop.  Let him know that although
you are there to help him if he wants help, any wish he has to handle
this on his own will be respected.



He may feel relieved if you give him pull-ups to wear.  This would also
help prevent struggling over this.  The sooner everyone around him can
relax about his, the sooner he is likely to rebound from what is likely
to be a temporary regression."



They say "Questions or comments should be addressed to Dr. T. Berry
Brazelton and Dr. Joshua Sparrow, c/o

NY Times Syndication Sales Corp, 122 E. 42nd St., New York, NY 10168.
Also, questions may be sent by e-mail to:  [log in to unmask]



Obviously, Dr. Brazelton is out of touch with the current non-rare
status of Celiac Disease considering his comments that plainly dismiss
the possibility of CD.  I will write him.  You may also want to write.
Good luck.

                        Janet in Houston





Janet in Houston

Houston Celiac Support Group

www.houstonceliacs.org <http://www.houstonceliacs.org/>

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