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Problems With Bladder Control in Children

Bladder control problems in children can be embarrassing for a child and frustrating for his parents. While age is an issue when it comes to bladder control, there are often treatable physical issues behind the problems.

  1. The Facts

    • Most children achieve consistent bladder control by the age of five. A child may experience occasional accidents after that age but for the most part has control. Some children continue to experience bladder control problems after. These problems can occur at night or during the day. Problems with bladder control in children include physical problems with a bladder that is too small or one that overactive.

    Small Bladder

    • Some children experiencing bladder control problems simply have a bladder that is too small. It is not large enough to handle the amount of urine produced by the child's normal sized kidneys. This results in frequent, strong urges to urinate that cannot be controlled and leads into urinary incontinence. In most children, waiting for the bladder to grow is the solution. For others, surgery to augment the bladder and make it normal size is necessary.

    Bedwetting

    • Bedwetting, or enuresis, can be caused by several factors. A child with a too-small bladder will wet the bed. A child with a urinary tract infection, especially one that is recurring, is also likely to have problems with bladder control at night. Other causes include very heavy sleep and increased urine production at night. Limiting fluids before bedtime, waking a heavy sleeper during the night to urinate and treating underlying physical causes like an infection will reduce bedwetting.

    Neurogenic Bladder

    • Children with bladder control problems might be experiencing neurogenic bladder, which refers to loss of bladder control because of some kind of damage or trauma to the nervous system. This damage can be caused by birth defects like spina bifida, by tumors growing on the spine or by spinal cord injury. Damage can cause the bladder to become overactive, resulting in strong, sudden urges to urinate that a child cannot control. Neurogenic bladder can be treated with medication or surgery.

    Other

    • Some children who experience bladder control problems have no trouble with urinary incontinence. Instead, they are unable to urinate in public or when away from home. Paruresis, or shy bladder syndrome, can interfere with a child's ability to attend school or social functions. While there might be physical component to shy bladder syndrome, much of it is psychological. A counselor who can treat anxiety disorders can often be helpful in treating a child with paruresis.

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