Don't delay on toilet trouble, children told

One in eight children in Hong Kong suffers from constipation and the rate doubles in those not living with their parents.

A Chinese University research team said one of the main reasons so many children suffer is because they delay their bowel movements either through embarrassment or by spending too much time on other pursuits.

Delaying bowel movements may lead to fecal incontinence where, researchers say, pants are often soiled.

In later life a child may suffer from such problems as hemorrhoids or fecal fissures.

The research team interviewed 2,318 primary school pupils, aged six to 15, between March and June and found that 12.2 percent suffer from constipation.

This figure rose to 28 percent in the 200 pupils not living with their parents.

Doctors say at least half of them are able to recover quickly with therapy, treatment or proper diets.

Therapy for those with stubborn constipation may last for several months to a year.

Researchers believe parents play an important role in helping prevent constipation embarrass their children.

For instance, the study found 16 percent of those who do not have dinner with their parents for three or four days in a week suffer from constipation.

Other behavioral causes include spending more than two hours on homework (15 percent) and sleeping less than seven hours a day (17 percent).

University honorary clinical associate professor Tam Yuk-him said an unbalanced diet and embarrassment to avail themselves of a school toilet are two additional reasons.

Lee Hon-cheung, a father of two, said he had to move from Shenzhen to Hong Kong because the cross-border school bus banned his children from boarding after they messed their underwear on several occasions.

The bus company told Lee the other children had complained of the smell.

However, Lee said his son has almost recovered after two years of behavioral therapy and medication.