Please share with families and colleagues – Isabelle Beaudry Bellefeuille is an SI colleague and she is needing some help with her research. Please contact her via the details below if you are able to help with this study.

Research Help

EXAMINING THE DEFECATION HABITS OF YOUNG CHILDREN FROM A SENSORY PERSPECTIVE

We would like to inform you of the research project identified above which is being conducted by Dr. Shelly Lane from the School of Health Sciences at the University of Newcastle. The research is part of Isabelle Beaudry-Bellefeuille’s studies at the University of Newcastle, supervised by Dr. Shelly J. Lane.

The purpose of this research study is to learn more about the relationship between children’s bowel habits and the way they react to sensory input. Some children are very sensitive to the way things feel, smell, and sound, and this might interfere with their willingness to use the toilet for a bowel movement. We have developed a survey that asks questions related to these reactions to sensation and bowel habits of children. We are particularly interested in children with constipation and difficulties with bowel control.

Participants for this research are parents of children aged between 3 and 6 years. We want to include children with and without functional defecation difficulties. We will include children with no diagnosis other than functional defecation issues, and also children with functional defecation difficulties and a diagnosis of autism or ADHD. We are not studying children with organic defecation issues and/or a diagnosis other than autism or ADHD.

Once parents are fully informed and agree to participate, they will be given an internet link which will give them access to 4 different questionnaires about their child’s behaviour. For example, we will ask about the child´s behaviour during different daily activities such as eating, going to the toilet or playing. The internet link to the questionnaires is anonymous and managed through the Qualtrics online survey platform, a secure online system which will not collect identifiable data.

Parents can write directly to me or leave their e-mail on this form to be contacted:
https://goo.gl/forms/gLp32zZARVDIQVHp1
Thank you for considering promoting participation in this study.

Isabelle Beaudry Bellefeuille
PhD Candidate
University of Newcastle