Urinary incontinence in the child: causes and treatment

What is urinary incontinence in a child? This is a loss of control over the bladder, which leads to an accidental urination.

Children can not remain dry during the day or at night. Sometimes incontinence in a child can be caused by health problems, such as:

- Diabetes;

- urinary tract infections;

- kidney problems;

- problems with nerves;

- constipation;

- obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing is interrupted during sleep, often due to inflamed or enlarged tonsils ;

- Structural problems of the urinary tract.

In most cases, the exact cause of urinary incontinence is unknown, but it is often the result of more than one of the above factors.

Although it usually disappears with the natural course of time, in most children, daytime random urination can lead to great trouble and embarrassment.

The age at which children stop peeing varies. Urinary incontinence in a young child with a disease is not considered until the age of 5 or 6 years.

Enuresis

Another name for urinary incontinence is enuresis. It can be of the following types:

• Primary enuresis is a systematic urinary incontinence in a child who has never been dry.
• Secondary enuresis begins after at least 6 months of bladder control.
• Night enuresis - spontaneous urination usually occurs during sleep.
• Daily enuresis - day incontinence in children.

How common is the disease?

By the age of 5, more than 90 percent of children can control urination during the day. Urinary incontinence occurs much more often at night than daytime, and occurs in 30 percent of 4-year-olds, about 10 percent of 7-year-olds, 3 percent of 12-year-olds and 1 percent of 18-year-olds.

What causes urinary incontinence in a child?

The exact cause of most cases is unknown. Sometimes it is caused by structural problems in the urinary tract, however, in most cases it is the result of a combination of certain factors that include slow physical development, an overproduction of urine and an inability to recognize the filling of the bladder. This may also be due to the syndrome of hyperactivity and attention deficit or anxiety. In addition, enuresis can be transmitted genetically.

Treatment of enuresis

In most cases, urinary incontinence in a child disappears naturally, during its growth and development and does not require treatment. If treatment is needed, options include:

1. Training to monitor the bladder

Exercise consists of exercises to strengthen the muscles of the bladder to better control urination. Gradual lengthening of time between trips to the bathroom can also help in its stretching. Additionally you can try:

• Urination on schedule (every 2 hours);
• Avoid eating or drinking caffeine;
• Relaxation of muscles, so that the bladder is completely emptied.

2. Moisture signaling

At night, this alarm can wake the children if they start urinating.

3. Medications

The hormone preparation Desmopressin is intended for use in children with the goal of preventing incontinence.

Urinary incontinence can be cured by "Oxybutinin" (Ditropan), a drug that helps calm the muscles of the bladder and relieve muscle spasms.