Pediatric Incontinence

Pediatric incontinence can be frustrating for parents and devastating for children, occurring during the day, at night or both. The National Association for Continence (NAC) defines it as a loss of bowel and urinary control. The good news is that children often grow out of the issue simply by growing up. The bad news is, parents and children may not believe this while it's happening. According to the NAC, incontinence during childhood is not incurable or a major medical concern.

Night Time

• Having urinary incontinence while sleeping is more common in boys after the age of 5 years old, but overall, it affects about five million U.S. children, reports the NAC. Children may soak the bed or have smaller amounts of leakage, due to one or more factors, including physical development delay, sleeping for longer periods, hereditary issues and sleep apnea.

Daytime

• It is far less common for children to have incontinence issues during the day, although illness or infection can cause an accident or two, states the Center for Urinary Control. Incontinence unrelated to illness or lack of functioning anatomy could be the result of bad habits, such as voluntarily holding onto urine and waiting to void.

Causes

• Pediatric incontinence can stem from structural, emotional, physical and habitual causes. Structural issues could be the size or function of the bladder. Children with high amounts of stress and trauma may wet the bed for emotional reasons. According to the American Urological Association Foundation, some children with nerve damage or spina bifida may have incontinence. Even an injury to the pelvic region might trigger it. What the child eats or drinks affects urine flow, with carbonated drinks and caffeine leading to frequent urination. Interestingly, dehydration may cause incontinence, states the Alberta Aids to Daily Living brochure.

Fecal incontinence

• Fecal incontinence can be constipation, diarrhea or leakage. Constipation is more common in children and cause urinary incontinence. According to an article by Andrea Bischoff, Marc A. Levitt and Alberto Pena from the Colorectal Center for Children, spina bifida and anorectal malformations are the two most likely causes. Constipation and diarrhea also can have medical causes, such as an infection or inflammatory bowel disease. A toileting routine and high-fiber diet may help.

Misconceptions

• Some parents believe punishment will stop incontinence, but that's a misconception, states the NAC. Until at least the age 3, most children cannot sleep through the night and stay dry; between the ages of 3 and 5, they have more control. Also, limiting fluid intake throughout the day will not treat the problem and could cause dehydration. Although parents may worry a disease is causing the problem, the NAC says it's unlikely.

Treatment

• According to Seven Hills Urology, many children grow out of their incontinence issues because the bladder grows, older children are more able to recognize the urgency to go, stress decreases or levels of ADH (the hormone controlling urine flow) increase. In the meantime, incontinence can be treated using specific medications, although they won't necessarily ensure complete cessation.

  Changing a child's drinking habits before bed and avoiding substances such as caffeine or sugar substitutes can help, as can physical therapy, in which children learn to control muscles that impact bladder functioning. Although surgery can treat incontinence, it's not a typical option for kids.