It's No Accident: Breakthrough Solutions To Your Child's Wetting, Constipation, Utis, And Other Potty Problems

by Steve J. Hodges, Suzanne Schlosberg

Proven, practical advice for treating and preventing potty problems.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Health, Psychology

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 24, 2012

About the author

Author of numerous scientific journal articles, Dr. Hodges sees 3,000 patients a year at Wake Forest Baptist Health. Most of them have wetting problems caused by constipation that had gone unrecognized.

Dr. Steve J. Hodges was born and raised in Winston-Salem, NC. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in classical studies from Duke University in 1994. He then attended medical school at Wake Forest School of Medicine, receiving his M.D. in 1998. Upon graduation, he completed a one-year internship in general surgery, followed by a 4-year residency in urology at the same institution. He then enrolled in a fellowship in pediatric urology at Children’s Hospital of San Diego. Upon completion of his clinical fellowship he was awarded a 2-year research scholarship from the American Foundation of Urologic Disease to study under Dr. Atala at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. After his research fellowship, Dr. Hodges joined the Department of Urology and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine as an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Urology.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the subject of poop bothers you, you won't get far in this book (or this review), because it's on virtually every page. The author is a pediatric urologist with a good sense of humor. He addresses the scores of children who have accidents, both daytime and nighttime, after having been potty trained--as well as other toileting-related problems such as UTI's and over-active bladders. The bottom line is this: a frightening number of children are severely constipated, and their parents don't realize it, or if they do they don't know how to fully treat it. Often the child's doctor fails to realize it as well, or doesn't treat the constipation effectively enough to resolve the problem. A dose here and there of Miralax might help some the author says, but many need much more than that. Dr. Hodges recommendation, that he gives detailed yet easy-to-understand explanation for in the book, is to have the child x-rayed in order to fully understand just how constipated they are. He also emphasizes the benefits of enemas (and repeatedly addresses people who immediately shut down at the thought of them), good nutrition and exercise, and a prolonged approach to keeping kids' digestive systems functioning properly. Honestly, this book is a worthwhile read for every parent, whether you're already dealing with toileting problems or if you have yet to potty train you child.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After years of being told my child is "just susceptible" to UTIs and getting to the point where the bacteria was resistant to nearly every antibiotic tried, I find it a total blessing to have found this book. I found myself nodding my head all the way through the book as it is the first time a doctor has explained perfectly all of the issues experienced by my daughter and gave the reasons behind it. When I talked to her about trying this approach, her first response was "you mean there are other kids like me?" It broke my heart. Up to this point, all we could do to prevent infections was to push fluids and maintain a consistent bathroom schedule - but inevitably if one or the other isn't consistent, the result is a UTI. Most doctors, even the "specialists," have played down this issue so it's great that one pediatric urologist out there is providing good information and solutions. Bring on the miralax...

[Sarahjane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously, if anyone is having ANY bathroom problems with their kid, start here! I have skimmed through lots of potty training books that have very little helpful information.

This addresses a host of problems with a main cause, but he explains why they are related issues and why most pediatricians don't have this information (most kids outgrow it, so research goes where the money is). This has a great balance of medical data, personal stories, practical solutions (what to do & how), and some humor. He's a doctor and a dad - so it's very down to earth and helpful. It made me think that this might have made things go even smoother with my other kids. I wanted to talk to everyone about what I learned.

[Erin A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent resource for parents dealing with constipation issues in their child(ren). I modified/shortened his bowel cleansing regimen, but it has allowed our son to be regular for the first time in his 4 year life. Loss of one star only because he didn’t address some of the specific challenges ASD presents in potty-training, but he does allude to ADHD causing increased issues.

[Janel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Our son is almost 4 and we have had potty training issues for over a year. The root cause was we pushed him too early, then I made him feel bad about poop... Maybe? Either way, he has been super constipated. Which we have known for some time. But reading the book made my husband understand that munchkins and hard salami are not staple foods in a toddlers diet. So we have been putting these tricks to use for two weeks now, and he is actually asking me to wipe his butt right after he poops!! This is coming from a kid who would sit in a dirty diaper all day! And only pooped once every five days. Now he goes 2-3 times a day!! Next step, big boy undies...
This is a must read for any parent who has a child with toilet issues!

[Kelly R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for any parent dealing with any kind elimination issues in any child, whether in diapers or potty trained. Hodges offers a Band-Aid solution that may help in most cases. However, we had to explore our issues further and finally found that a food sensitivity was the root of our problem. We visited a homeopath that can desensitize food issues, and my daughter was able to get off the medication and has had no further problems in a year now.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three day method, oh crap potty training, weekend method etc are super popular now. I’m in multiple mom and potty training groups online and I see posts every single day about potty trained children regressing and it makes me think this book is spot on. I’m really glad I found this book before I tried to potty train my son again. Every toddler parent should read this book BEFORE potty training.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read. I just picked it up on a whim to see if it would offer any solutions to help my kids stay dry at night. After reading the book I'm almost positive my kids are constipated after reading the symptoms. Looking into trying the solution.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great help

Good info that helped. Good ideas that several docs never told us before. Had this problem with two other kids, and removing dairy helped, but this child still is struggling.

[Rhythm · Rating 5 out of 5]

My child still has nighttime bedwetting issues, and this book gave me a clear idea why this may be. I never thought constipation may be the root cause for this. I will try out the suggestions made in this book and report back! Every parent needs to read this.

[Aleena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought reading about poop and pee could be so exciting! Seriously! I think every parent needs to read this.

[Deborah Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

I found this book very informative on a subject no one wants to talk about yet could be helpful to all parents of small children.

[Meredith Riddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My oldest daughter has had chronic problems with constipation since...well..since she started solid food, and so I have had to learn a lot about how we manage this problem from behavioral and medical standpoints. This book has been really helpful for me to keep advocating with her regular pediatrician and GI specialist to find solutions for her and really trust that we can handle the situation together and guide her toward better health. It is a good read if you don't think your doctor is handling your situation as aggressively as you might want. I learned a lot and am glad I read the book.

My only point of criticism is that enema therapy is not for everyone, and that there are alternatives before we get to that point. That is a decision best left between a patient, parent, and doctor, so I took those sections with a grain of salt.

The nutrition section is worth the price of the book, to remind us that eating a healthier, higher fiber diet is well within our powers.

[Abigail Westbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the way this book throws in a bit of humor now and then for a topic that could easily be disgusting or boring. It is a quick and easy read, making a strong case that constipation is the cause of most children’s toileting troubles. I would have liked to see a more comprehensive look at the root causes of constipation and more natural-minded ideas for dealing with them, but I still found the basic information useful and I can go do further research on my own.

The only other thing I didn’t care for was the lengthy section on the horrors of public school bathrooms. Perhaps the problems described are indeed prevalent, and a mention of them would have been fine, but it ended up feeling like a personal soapbox for the author. Also, it is not a relevant factor for all children - including my own who are homeschooled.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a lot of good information from this book. I appreciate that it's written by a doctor and that he teams up with specialists in other fields (and credits them!) when he addresses subjects that are relevant, but that he doesn't specialize in. I appreciate that although the book is mainly about how constipation is the root of most accidents, Dr. Hodges acknowledges that there are other reasons and describes them--though perhaps not in quite as much detail.

[Sarah Flaming · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about constipation in children and yet manages to be a fascinating (and funny!) read. Absolutely recommend for anyone whose kids are having any kinds of bathroom struggles. The most eye opening pieces for me were 1) how the state of restrooms in schools (nasty) contributes to poor potty habits for kids all the way through high school, and 2) how constipation can be hidden even in kids who poop regularly, and therefore affects nighttime wetting among other things.

[Rae Slezak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a goddess-send. Every parent who has a child struggling with wetting should read this. I am relieved to find out there is an explanation for why my stepdaughter keeps wetting and have poop accidents, and there is a relatively easy way to fix it! Never in a million years would I have figured this out on my own, I am so thankful Dr. Hodges took special interest in this very exhausting business that most others ignore, and I am excited to get my stepdaughter on the regimen.

[Amy Cohen · Rating 1 out of 5]

If the methods in this book work for you and your family, that's great. I agree with another reviewer who said the book comes off as an infomercial. The author talks constantly about using medications. It makes me wonder if he gets kickbacks from the makers of Miralax. He also contradicts himself in many places in the book.

[Kristin Fritchman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really made me reconsider a lot of what I thought I knew about potty training, constipation, and accidents. Who knew I’d one day be fascinated to learn about American children’s chronically clogged colons and the health problems associated with it?

[Ashley Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has provided guidance and a clear explanation on why my son is having so much trouble with wetting. We have been following the regimen for a couple of months and are so pleased to see progress.

[Tara Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm SO glad I found this book!! We implemented the O'Reagan Protocol for our kid, and in less than a week, we had some major results, and now (just shy of 2 weeks into it), little one is already waking up dry!!! I highly recommend this even before you're at your wits end!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book super informative. It talks about a variety of toileting problems for young kids and their causes. There's a lot of good, simple, sound advice here that gives me, as a parent, clarity and confidence on how to manage this stage of my kids' lives.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and highly informed book. This will help in my work, and I can't wait to implement these ideas with my clients.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three stars for theory/strategies, bonus star for the toilet humour.

[Lisa Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty straightforward advice

Not the most fun topic, but it’s necessary and straightforward. I think a lot of people could benefit from the advice in here.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of good information. I'm excited to implement the strategies discussed in this book.

[Jessica Corwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read. I am definitely intrigued + curious by the human body!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of great tips just not sure how I feel about the use of miralax when it hasn’t been researched

[Kristen]

Have kids they said, it will be fun they said

[Cami · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically, kids with bed wetting problems and sometimes other bowel issues are most likely severely constipated. Clear them out and your troubles will most likely cease.