My youngest daughter has been eating feces. She did this about a year ago and then didn't do it again until a couple days ago. We were in the car and she went, she unlatched her diaper, grabbed some, smeared it everywhere and ate some. She did the same one morning before we knew she was awake. The other evening, we had finished dinner and my older daughter used the bathroom and forgot to flush. The younger daughter went into the bathroom saying "I brush my teeth, mommy" and as I rounded the corner of the doorway, I saw her with wet poo in her hand and mouth, apparently fresh from the toilet. I know some people here will say I'm not supervising closely enough, but I don't feel that is the issue. She only does it at the times that I wouldn't be able to supervise like bedtime/naptime/while I'm driving in the car/etc.
I always change her diaper as soon as she goes when it is feasible. Sometimes you just can't stop in the middle of the highway to change a diaper! I've also tried putting extra tight pants on her so she can't get into her diaper, but she manages to find a way in spite of that.
Any advice would be appreciated. Maybe just knowing I am not the only mom that has to deal with this would be helpful too!
Thanks,
K.
HI My son is almost 2 ihe did the same thing i switched him to pull ups and he couldn't get his diaper undone to do it again
First, I would talk to her pediatrician. Sometimes, people crave weird things to eat due to lack of certain vitamins. I know that sounds odd, but it's true!! Also, I don't think that you are not supervising close enough. It's like you said, sometimes you can't watch a child 24/7. Unfortunately, though, that's when they "get into trouble":) I recommend sitting her down and explaining to her the "nastiness" of it all. Tell her that doo-doo is yucky and can get her sick (although I'm sure you've done that a million times, right? Just keep telling her, even if it's the million and one time). Also, you may want to check her doo-doo for worms. If you eat feces, you can get worms. I ate dog doo in a store when I was a little girl, and I got a severe case of the worms. Just a thought, although it isn't pleasant:) Maybe you need to start potty training, too. It sounds like she is aware of it's presence as soon as she goes, so maybe if she starts going in the potty that will be exciting enough to forget about it's taste:) I wish you lots of luck, and through it all...just remember it's just a phase (nasty as it may be) and she'll grow out of it. Besides, it's something you can torture her with as a teen:) Just kidding. Good luck!
Yeah I would definetly contact a pediatrician on this one.
My daughter used to stick her hands in her diaper all the time a few months ago. She never ate anything but was always doing it. The way we got her to stop was to make sure she knew how disgusting it was. I also told her she would get sick if she got any in her mouth. I would try not to bring to much attention to it. Kids seem to do things at that age when you notice it or make a big deal of it. Of course do what you can to stop it if you catch it but try to not make a deal of it and make sure the other child doesn't talk about it either, kindof like it isn't there. Maybe she will stop if no one really cares. If it continues, maybe ask a doctor what to do and if it will harm her alot. Hope that helps!!
T. :)
You might check with your pediatrician to see if they have an suggestions or concerns with her nutrition or otherwise. I have not had personal experience, but one trick I've heard for keeping kids from taking off diapers in general is to buy zip up sleepers and cut off the feet. You can then put the sleeper on backwards and zip it up and they can't get it off to get to the diaper. I've heard some do this just at night, but I've also heard of others that have had to do it during the day as well because their child would, like yours, get into the diaper driving in the car and that sort of thing. It's not exactly the most fashionable style, but if it works, it may be worth it for a little while until you can get her to stop. It's also a way to take control and addressing it without really needing to give her any extra attention for her behavior (so hopefully won't encourage it). Hope that helps.
I'd check with your doctor. Maybe she is missing a vital nutrient making her crave it. It could be a phase too, hopefully. Does it make her sick at all??
My youngest child used to do this all the time. We tried everything to keep him from getting into his diaper -- including duct taping his diaper closed, onesies, bib overalls -- you name it, we tried it. That's not the issue, though. The issue is there is a child who wants to smear poop. Mine had sensory processing disorder and he got occupational therapy and it helped.
I should add that having a new foster child in the home is a stressor for your baby -- and it could have caused a regression.
Good luck.
Your daughter may have some nutrition issues. Sometimes when they are missing something in their diet they eat plaster on the wall, bite windowsills, pull the rug up and eat the fibers. The first thing you should do is to make an appointment with a nutrionist and see what they can find out. Good luck and God Bless....
oh i'm so glad i'm not the only one that had that problem. yep, my son (who's now 2 1/2) used to do the same thing. as in, he'd wake up before me, and want to keep himslef occupied in his crib. oh i hated it, that was the worse stage. but i found that it was when he was bored. so what i started to do was after he fell asleep but a couple of toys to keep him occupied in the morning till i woke up to get him out. but yep, a lot and i mean A LOT of morning cleaning i went through. so it happens. but now that he climbs out of the crib freely now and is able to some into my room adn get me up, he's fine. but as in health factors...the main thing (not saying the only thing) is ringworm. if you don't know anything about it, it's a circle that appears on the surface of the skin. but good luck...and remember, its' a phase. how many 15 year olds do you know that do this? lol she'll grow out of it. good luck, and no you're not alone.
