POOP-SMEARING AND WHY PARENTS ARE SO TIGHT-LIPPED ABOUT IT!

I can remember vividly of the first time I experienced it. I’m pretty sure I lost a tad bit of my sanity that day. Visit my blog “He Ate His Own What?” to read my life-changing experience of the first time I learned of poop-smearing.

It’s often said that when our kids reach the terrible twos era, that’s when our patience as parents is really tested. This seems to be when our little ones begin to explore just about everything—food and nutrition, a love for the wide-open outdoors, or trying to figure out exactly who they are and the people and things around them. Their darling little personalities begin to form.

God wrote my script a little differently than the traditional first-time parents. Apparently, I was chosen for His toughest soldiers list. He entrusted me with a toddler diagnosed with Autism.

I felt the need to share my experience on a specific topic that seems to be unspeakable in today’s society of raising our neurodivergent loved ones—Fecal smearing!  Yes, I said it!—or as the Pediatricians, Scientists, and Therapists call it—Scatolia.

Scatolia, rectal digging, fecal smearing, or whatever your household decides to call it, is the deliberate smearing of feces onto any given surface or even one’s self.        

Scatolia affects at least four families in every city, and its malodorous findings have caused parents all over the world extreme withdrawal dilemmas (causing lack of socialization), drastic embarrassment, depression, and even mental breakdowns.    

BUT WHY DO THEY DO IT?!

Warning: This image contains graphic content that some readers may find disturbing.

Before anyone asks the most vital question, “How do we fix it?”—The million-dollar question is always asked first. “Why? Why do they do it?”  The reason behind fecal smearing is vague, considering that it’s linked to many different neurological disorders. Psychological disorders like schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which sometimes trigger PICA or Sensory Processing Disorder and more, are all linked to it.

While researchers are still putting the pieces together with the new and customary traditions of Autism, PICA is known to be linked to pregnancy and to persons with ASD. It’s an eating disorder caused by a nutrient deficiency. The main nutrient the body craves in this case is Iron.

If you notice that your loved one has a behavior almost similar to an obsession for munching on something she shouldn’t, like her rubber shoes, grass, or even her own poop (coprophagia), you can bet that iron deficiency is probably the cause.

A lack of proper nutrient intake, like iron, can stem from a sensory disorder (which is also responsible for many other sensory challenges). Some people on the spectrum refuse to touch, smell, or even eat food with different textures, smells, or colors, even though it contains the nutrients and minerals our bodies need to function effectively. My son still only prefers a vanilla pediasure for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

HOW TO CURE RECTAL DIGGING?

So, here’s the deal. Send me your shipping address, and I’ll mail you the magic button that turns off rectal digging.

Don’t you wish life was that easy? Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. There are no true cures for Scatolia, but you can take steps to help prevent it.

• If possible, try to identify the root of the problem.
• Invest in restrictive clothing like onesies and bodysuits that are hard to access. They can’t smear their poop if they can’t get to it.
• Always remember they don’t really want to play with what comes out of their rear end; they like the texture, look, or smell. Parents are turning to Playdough, slime, paint, shaving cream, or anything that can be a substitute for the stinky chocolate.
• Last but not least, PATIENCE. Wait for life to take its course and allow them to outgrow the yucky habit naturally.