Potty Training Debate Heats Up

May 16 -- Almost any parent will tell you one of the first big battles between parent and child evolves over potty training. Children are usually in the "terrible 2's" and every word they say is "no." Well there's a growing number of American parents who believe beginning potty training much earlier is easier for mother and child.

In 1950, nearly 95 percent of American children were potty-trained by the age of 18 months. Now, in an era of disposable diapers, less than 10 percent are.

As you watch this happy scene on the backyard trampoline, there's one thing that's different compared to most other American families. Twenty-three month old Kestrel is wearing underpants, not diapers.

Laureen Hudson, early potty training advocate: "He's never worn a diaper ever in his life. We had him in little training pants probably until he was about six months. And then after that he moved to underwear. At around 18 months, he became what we referred to as a graduate which means he's completely reliable to tell you that he needs to go."

Laureen is part of a growing movement of families that are potty training their children very early -- as infants or by about one-year old.

The American Pediatric Association recommends using a child-focused approach beginning at age two or two and a half when a child is showing signs of readiness. But of course that can take much longer for many children, including ABC7's Carolyn Johnson's son Griffin.

Carolyn Johnson: "How old were you when you started using the potty?"

Griffin: "This many. Three"

Carolyn Johnson: "Three, actually it was three years, four months and two days. It was a battle of wills."

By contrast, busy working mom Laura Hamilton, who runs a home-based business is already potty training three-month old Adrian.

Laura Hamilton, early potty training advocate: "I think it's better to expose children to the potty at least every once in a while from a young age."

Starting the process, she says, is easy.

Laura Hamilton, early potty training advocate: "My son Adrian is three-months old. Basically at diaper changes I take his diaper off, put him on the potty, he'll usually pee, sometimes he'll poop too."

Both moms agree, learning a baby's potty patterns is relatively simple and similar to how mothers recognize other cues from their young, such as signs of hunger or tiredness.

Laureen Hudson, early potty training advocate: "With Kestrel, it became very obvious that about 10 minutes after a feeding he'd need to potty."

The scheduling strategy also worked well for Laura's older son, Julian, who's now three.

Laura Hamilton, early potty training advocate: "He was out of diapers by about 15 months, but that's not to say he never had accidents."

As surprisingly early as all this sounds to most Americans, to much of the rest of the world it's late.

According to Contemporary Pediatrics magazine, more than 50 percent of the world's children are toilet-trained by the time they turn one.

David Tejada, MD, CPMC Director of Pediatrics: "Certainly there are many other countries that start training their babies at an earlier age."

Dr. David Tejada is director of Pediatrics at California Pacific Medical Center.

Dr. Tejada: "My recommendation is not to force the training on them and to let them direct how aggressive we are in terms of training them."

Some people fear early training will harm children.

Laureen Hudson, early potty training advocate: "I've had people walk up to me in public and do the finger in the face ... you are damaging your child."

Laureen says she's even received death threats.

Laureen Hudson, early potty training advocate: "No joke ... freaked me out completely ... death threat over diapers..."

Dr. Tejada: "I don't think there is any evidence that training them early damages the kids in any way."

For parents who want to give it a try, websites like DiaperFreeBaby.org offer information and support groups.

Laura Hamilton, early potty training advocate: "If you put your baby on the potty once a day, that's fine, you don't have to follow around your child, you don't have to keep them naked all the time, you don't have to forego the rest of your life."

Laureen Hudson, early potty training advocate: "It's easier, it's cheaper, it's cleaner, it makes everybody's life easier in the short and the long term. What's not to love."

And think of the money you'll save in diapers.

To learn more about early potty training, a link to DiaperFreeBaby.org and to read one mom's description of the process online, click here.

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