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Early potty training may led to later bed-wetting problems in children, a new study has shown.

Researchers from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston observed 112 children aged between 3 and 10 to determine their wetting habits and age of potty training. Researchers found that 38 children were early trainers as they were potty trained before the age of two, 64 were normal trained between ages 2 and 3, while 10 were later trainers as they were trained after three.

The observations showed that 60% of the early trainers had daytime wetting problems and were 3.37 times at a higher risk for daytime wetting when compared to children without any wetting problems. They also found that early trainers were likely to develop constipation.

"Parents who train their children early to meet preschool deadlines, to save landfills from diapers or because they think toddlers are easier to train should know there can be serious repercussions. When children hold stool, it backs up in the rectum. The enlarged rectum presses against the bladder, reducing its capacity and causing the nerves feeding the bladder to go haywire," says lead author Steve Hodges, M.D., an associate professor of pediatric urology at Wake Forest Baptist, in a press release. 

The research also showed that seven out of 10 late trainers with wetting problems had constipation.

"This does not mean late potty training causes dysfunctional voiding. It means that when kids train late, it's very likely because they are already constipated, which makes toilet training extremely difficult. Parents whose 3- or 4-year-olds have trouble training are often blamed for 'waiting too long,' but our data suggest waiting isn't the problem - instead it's likely constipation," he said.

Hodges said there is no perfect age for potty training. Instead parents should watch for signs of readiness in their children before they can be trained.

"There is nothing magic about the age of two. If parents opt to train early or late and are meticulous about making sure children void on a regular schedule and monitor them for signs of constipation, I suspect the incidence of voiding dysfunction would decrease."

The study was published online in  Research and Reports in Urology.