Treatment of faecal incontinence in children with spina bifida by biofeedback and behavioural modification.

Faecal incontinence may lead to serious social and physiological disturbances. Over 90% of patients with spina bifida have varying degrees of neurogenic bowel with disturbances of faecal control. This is a serious habilitation problem in these patients. Three encopretic children with myelomeningocele were treated by Biofeedback operant conditioning and behavioural modification to self-initiate bowel movements. Their neurological levels were T-10; T-11; T-12. Each child had a mean of 10 Biofeedback sessions each of 30-45 minutes, combined with daily behavioural modification. Two patients improved and have voluntary bowel movements. Therapy failed in one patient. We conclude that Biofeedback operant conditioning combined with specific behavioural modification may become a simple technique to treat encopretic patients with meningomyelocele.