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Toilet training in daycare centers in Flanders, Belgium

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Abstract

Several changes have occurred in the toilet training (TT) process in recent decades. There has been an increase in the use of daycare as both parents now often work outside the home. Most children attend daycare centers during the period TT usually takes place, and daytime training has shifted from home to daycare. This study is the first to evaluate the way TT is done in daycare centers. A questionnaire was sent to 1,500 daycare centers, of which 429 replied (response rate of 28.6%). The results show that half of the childcare workers base the decision to start TT on readiness signs. The combination of age and readiness signs is used by 44.5%. The majority of the respondents spent more than 1 h per day on TT (81.8%); 79.8% considered that daycare and parents should play an equal role in TT. However, more than a third of the respondents thought that parents pass the responsibility for TT on to daycare and that not enough attention was paid to TT in the home. Most respondents stated that daycare centers had the facilities and means to be able to give the children proper TT (88.5%). Other research indicated that the outcome of TT is not that good overall and that there is room for improvement in the methods used. More research is needed on the role division and on the interaction between daycare and parents and their combined influence on the process and outcome of TT.

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Abbreviations

TT:

Toilet training

RS:

Readiness sign(s)

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Acknowledgement

The participants of the learning study group contributed to conducting this study. The learning study group consisted of: Floris Adriaenssens, Sara De Bruyn, Marjolein Elsen, Jessie Horemans, Sofie Lamiroy, Niels Massart, Charlotte Quirynen, Latifa Talal, Pieter Uytterlinde, Manon Van Aerschot, Leen Van Lier, Laurence Van den Acker, Elke Verbeelen, Leen Verboven, and Joni Vleugels.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest related to this study. Part of one researcher’s salary was paid out of a grant by Kimberly Clark.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Nore Kaerts, Alexandra Vermandel & Jean-Jacques Wyndaele

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Guido Van Hal

  3. Urology, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium

    Alexandra Vermandel & Jean-Jacques Wyndaele

  4. Urology—UZA, 10 Wilrijkstraat, 2650, Edegem, Belgium

    Jean-Jacques Wyndaele

Authors
  1. Nore Kaerts
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  2. Guido Van Hal
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  3. Alexandra Vermandel
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  4. Jean-Jacques Wyndaele
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The participants of the learning study group

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Correspondence to Jean-Jacques Wyndaele.

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Kaerts, N., Van Hal, G., Vermandel, A. et al. Toilet training in daycare centers in Flanders, Belgium. Eur J Pediatr 171, 955–961 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-011-1665-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-011-1665-5

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