title: Shaping self-initiated toileting in infants.
abstract: We evaluated a method for training infants to cue their mothers on the need to eliminate. The program consisted of three phases: Phase I was directed at establishing a close temporal relationship between body signals (straining) and subsequent defecations on the potty; Phase II was designed to establish a relationship between prompted and unprompted potty reaching/grabbing responses and eliminations (defecations and urinations) on the potty; and Phase III served to establish unprompted potty reaching/grabbing responses as reliable precursors of eliminations. Four babies, between 3.1 and 6.6 months old, all completed the training before age 1 year, with no negative side effects.
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003142:Communication; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D014039:Toilet Training