Pediatric Bowel Management Program

There are a variety of medical reasons for fecal incontinence in children, but one of the more distressing aspects of this condition is the embarrassment it can cause your child. A problem of this nature can deeply affect your child’s physical health, as well as inhibit his or her social development and emotional well-being.

The goal of the Pediatric Bowel Management Program at Cohen Children’s  is to improve the quality of life for your child, as quickly as possible. Our highly dedicated, multidisciplinary team of physicians, pediatric surgeons, neurologists, gastroenterologists, urologists and other specialists, along with nurses, dietitians and additional healthcare and bowel management experts, is committed to excellence in care and getting your child back to living a normal life. These compassionate professionals fully understand the difficulties your child is going through. It may help your child to know that other kids are going through similar challenges.

The Pediatric Bowel Management Program treats patients with symptoms ranging from infrequent stool leakage (occasional “accidents”) to the more serious complete loss of bowel control. Some children are born with severe anorectal malformations, which can require extensive treatment. Others lack bowel control for various reasons. Fecal incontinence can be caused by a range of conditions, including:

• Anorectal malformations
• Congenital conditions
• Spinal defects
• Hirschsprung's disease
• Muscle damage, muscle weakness
• Spina bifida
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Loss of sphincter control from colorectal problem