By Patrick J. McGrath, OC, PhD, FRSC
Question:
My child sticks his fingers up his bum and wants me to smell them. Why is he doing this? How do I deal with this?
Dr. Pat responds:
If he is five years old or less, it is a normal exploration of body function. Have your family doctor check his rectum to make sure he doesn’t have some irritation or worms.
Calmly tell your son you are not interested in smelling his fingers. Tell him he should stop sticking his fingers in there as he will spread germs. Make him wash his hands for five minutes solid and scrub his nails with a nailbrush every time he does it. He will probably stop.
Maybe he will become a proctologist.
If he is a teenager, you have a serious problem on your hands. He needs to see a psychologist or a psychiatrist ASAP.
Patrick J. McGrath OC, PhD, FRSC is a clinical psychologist and a researcher. He is Professor of Psychology, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry at Dalhousie University and Vice President - Research at IWK Health Centre in Halifax. He is also the CEO of the Strongest Families Institute, which provides mental health care to families across Canada.
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Dr. Pat will respond to as many letters as possible with evidence-based answers. We hope that the column will be interesting and helpful for readers; however, Dr. Pat cannot provide health care through the column. Please contact a physician or other registered health care professional to provide health care guidance or advice.