Pediatric Urinary Problems

Pediatric urinary problems can be present from a child's birth. They can also show up later on during a child's development. They can be distressing and embarrassing for the child experiencing them and can be worrying for her parents. A doctor can diagnose the cause of a child's problem and offer treatment.

The Facts

• Pediatric urinary problems go beyond occasional accidents after a child has been toilet trained. These problems include incontinence, bedwetting, painful urination and other issues with urinating normally.They can take several forms. Some children are born with physical abnormalities that cause urinary trouble. Other children have trouble with reoccurring infections. Some children have urinary problems that are triggered by psychological issues.

Physical Abnormalities

• Some pediatric urinary problems are caused by physical abnormalities. Some boys are born with hypospadias. When this occurs, the opening of the urethra is not located at the tip of the penis but instead occurs somewhere along the length of the underside. This can lead to spraying and an inability to direct the urine stream. Another child's bladder might not grow as fast as the rest of her body. This leads to it filling too rapidly and causes incontinence.

Bedwetting

• Bedwetting, or enuresis, is usually a pediatric urinary problem. Bedwetting can be caused by a variety of factors. A child may have a neurological problem that stops him from realizing that his bladder is full, so he does not wake up when he needs to urinate. A too-small bladder can also cause bedwetting. Urinary tract infections can cause this problem. So can psychological trauma or periods of intense stress.

Infection

• Although urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are more common in adults, they do occur in children. They occur most often in boys before the first birthday and in girls after the third. A UTI can cause pediatric urinary problems including incontinence during the day, bedwetting, painful urination and even blood in the urine. Some children experience repeated infections, which can lead to more serious health troubles like kidney infections.

Psychological

• Some pediatric urinary problems have psychological causes. Shy bladder syndrome, or paruresis, occurs when a child cannot urinate when away from home. This can cause trouble with attending school or going places with friends. A child who is under stress or who has undergone a psychological trauma can experience trouble with incontinence or bedwetting. A child can become so involved in an activity, like playing video games, that she stops paying attention to her body's signals and loses control of her bladder.