Early toilet training of no help

Parents eager to see their toddlers out of diapers will find early toilet training often does not lead to early success and intensive training should not start before age 27 months according to new research. This study sheds light on the decades-long debate over how and when to toilet train young children. Researchers at The Children's Hospital in Philadelphia followed 378 toddlers from age 17 months onwards. The study was done by telephone interviews with parents every 2 to 3 months until the child completed daytime toilet training (i.e. they were out of daytime diapers). Information obtained at follow-up interviews included how often parents were asking their child to sit on the toilet or potty and where the child urinated and defecated. Intensive training was defined as asking a child to use the toilet or potty more than three times a day. Beginning intensive training before age 27 months did not make much difference. But the earlier a toddler began training after 27 months, the earlier he or she got out of diapers. On an average, children in the study completed daytime toilet training at an average age of 3 years. Girls were trained an average of 2.2 months earlier than boys. Children younger than 12 months have no control over bladder or bowel movements, and little control during the next six months. Between 18 and 24 months, children often start to show signs of being ready, but some children may not be ready until 30 months or older.

Toilet training for toddlers younger than 27 months required between 10 to 14.5 months to take hold, while children 27 months or older took between 5 months and 9.5 months. Asking children younger than 27 months to use the toilet can make the training last two to three times longer. Earlier training is likely to take longer, which can be frustrating for both parents and children. The study does not suggest that 27 months is a clear milestone for every child. Parents should consider their child's individual readiness, family situation and cultural beliefs when making the decision to initiate training. Although earlier toilet training is not associated with constipation, stool withholding, or stool refusal, initiation of intensive training before 27 months does not correlate with earlier completion of toilet training, suggesting little benefit in beginning intensive training before 27 months of age in most children.