How to Manage Urinary Incontinence in Children

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1Understanding the Bladder

2Treating Incontinence

3Treating Urinary Tract Infections

4Treating Constipation

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Urinary incontinence (UI) is a medical term that refers to the loss of bladder control, which leads to accidental urine loss. This can happen during the day or at night. Urinary incontinence is a condition that affects many children when they are young and disappears as they grow and develop. To provide better support for your child with UI, it is important to understand how UI works and possible management solutions.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Understanding the Bladder

1. 
   1
   Know how the bladder works. The bladder is a bodily organ that is essentially a muscular storage sack for urine. Normally, the bladder muscle sack can stay relaxed and expand to accept urine for several hours. The muscle that forms the bladder sack is called the detrusor muscle, which is also responsible for bladder emptying. The other main muscles of the bladder are called the sphincters, which are two rings of muscle surrounding the bladder outlet through which it empties.

   • One sphincter is involuntary (you aren't aware of it) and the other is usually under our control, making it our voluntary sphincter. The latter is the muscle you can use to hold the urine back until you go to the bathroom.
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   Learn about bladder control. There are nerves in your body that provides you with the sensation of bladder fullness. This is the early warning system that the bladder is ready to empty. When you urinate, the nerves to the detrusor muscle signal it to contract or squeeze, while at the same time, the nerves to the involuntary sphincter make it relax.

   • When you release your voluntary sphincter, you allow yourself to urinate.
   • By around age two, most children become aware that the sensation that they feel “down there” is the need for the bladder to empty. This allows them to express the need to go to the bathroom.
   • About a year later, they develop the ability to “hold it” until they have a chance to go to the bathroom.
3. 
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   Be aware of the causes of incontinence. There are issues that can cause problems when a child is learning how to “hold it”. While most kids develop the ability to hold their urine and go to the bathroom when they have the opportunity to do so, problems can arise that can mess up a child's ability to control her bladder. These issues that are related to childhood incontinence can include:

   • A bladder that is unable to store the usual amount of urine.
   • Weakness of the detrusor muscles or sphincter.
   • Structural abnormalities of the urinary tract.
   • The body producing larger amounts of urine than is normal.
   • Bladder irritation from infections, such as urinary tract infections, or other bladder irritants.
   • The bladder receiving unexpected and premature nerve signals to empty.
   • Something in the area of the bladder keeping it from filling completely, such as other excrement caused by constipation.
   • Excessive postponement of urination, or holding it for too long.
   • Chronic constipation.
4. 
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   Disregard the myths about incontinence. If your child has been dealing with incontinence for an extended period of time, chances are she is dealing with more of an issue that simply being too lazy to get to the bathroom. A lot of parents tend to think that daytime incontinence is a display of laziness, but it is important to keep in mind that something else might be causing your child to have accidents. Common thoughts that parents have that should probably be ruled out if your child has been dealing with incontinence for awhile. In these situations, you should know that:

   • Children who wet themselves are not just too lazy to go to the bathroom.
   • Children who wet themselves are not too busy playing or watching TV.
   • Children who wet themselves want to go to the bathroom and do not willfully wet themselves.
   • Children who wet themselves do not choose to wait until the last minute.
   • Wetting themselves does bother them.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Treating Incontinence

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   Look for signs of an overactive bladder. There are some common signs that your child has an overactive bladder. Signs that your child might have an incontinence problem related to under filling include:

   • Your child dashes to the bathroom, crosses her legs, and wiggles or drops to the floor, sitting hard on her heel.
   • If asked, your child will often admit that she releases a little urine on the way to the bathroom.
   • Many children also will admit that, sometimes, they run to the bathroom but only void a small amount of urine, even though they felt like they really needed to go.
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   Look out for a cause for the "sudden-urge-to-urinate" phase. Some kids, while they are growing up, go through a phase where they suddenly, without warning, need to go to the bathroom really badly. This underdeveloped control, which presents itself as urge incontinence, often resolves with time as the child matures. However, this can also be the symptoms of a functionally small bladder or an overactive bladder.

   • There are some medications that can actually increase a bladder's holding capacity. You should talk to a doctor about the options for dealing with a small or overactive bladder.
3. 
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   Be aware of overfilling. There is a filling condition, called overfilling, that can also lead to incontinence. Overfilling is a less common condition that occurs when the bladder won't or can't empty and has an usually large capacity. Symptoms of an abnormally large capacity bladder include:

   • Voiding large volumes of urine frequently during the day. This can happen if the kidneys produce enormous volumes of urine. You should take your child to a doctor if you notice your child voiding a large amount of urine every time she goes to the bathroom, especially if there is a change in the amount from usual.
   • Infrequent voiding, which is considered less than two or three times a day. This can be a sign of a spinal nerve problem, such as spina bifida or cerebral palsy. If your child has not been diagnosed with a spinal nerve problem, it is unlikely that this is the cause of your child's incontinence.
4. 
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   Notice if your child is holding it for too long. Sometimes, if your child gets in the habit of holding his urine too long, it can result in over filling of the bladder. Your child's bladder can become enlarged if he is a chronic urine holder, which means he avoids going to the bathroom, even when he really, really has to pee.

   • When this goes on for a long time, the muscles related to urinating become over trained, which means the muscles relax poorly, leading to bladder dysfunction like incontinence.
   • This happens frequently when a child does not want to use the bathroom at school or other public places.
5. 
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   Consider behavior modification therapy. Behavioral modification may be able to help your child with her urge incontinence. Most experts today favor behavior modification therapy over drugs as a first line treatment for daytime wetting of almost all types. Behavior modification is a method of training to relearn a skill such as bladder control. The therapy must be done strictly and consistently in order to get the desired results, such as your child being able to control her bladder.

   • Behavior modification therapy generally works best in children who are older than five or six years of age. This is because younger children generally lack the self-discipline to stick to the therapy schedule. However, each child should be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.
   • Child psychologists can provide good advice on how to go about creating a schedule.
6. 
   6
   Create a schedule. If your child suffers from an overactive bladder, you need to create a schedule to help him. After your child goes to the bathroom in the morning, begin a strict timed voiding schedule. Normally, parents pick every two hours as the scheduled voiding time. Your child must go to the bathroom every two hours, even if he says he doesn't have to go at that specific time. That is actually the point, to get him to the bathroom before he has a bladder spasm.

   • If you wait for the bladder spasm, you are reinforcing the absence of control. If your child does go and attempts to void, even a little, it reinforces his control about when and where he goes.
   • If your child has an overfilled bladder, you should create the same schedule with an added step. Your child should wait four to five minutes after going to the bathroom and then try to go again. This is called double voiding in an attempt to reduce that lingering bladder volume. The goal is to change voiding habits and allow the bladder to carry a more normal volume of urine.
7. 
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   Use an alarm system. In addition to a schedule, set an alarm to help your child remember to go to the bathroom. It can be hard to remember to go to the bathroom every two hours. Because of this, its important to set up an alarm system. When your child is at home or visiting family, such as staying at Grandma's house, set alarm clocks that go off every two hours.

   • You can set these alarms on a smartphone or alarm clock. You can also get your child a watch that beeps or vibrates silently every two hours as a reminder for when she is at school.
   • You may also consider trying a bed-wetting alarm if your child has nighttime incontinence (bed-wetting).
8. 
   8
   Extend the voiding time. Once you have followed this schedule for four to six weeks, you should extend the voiding time. Normally, you should see improvement within four to six weeks. However, this does not mean you should stop the schedule. You should extend the time so that your child tries to urinate every three or four hours, rather than every two.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Treating Urinary Tract Infections

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   Notice urinary tract infections. You need to pay attention to your child to look for certain causes of incontinence. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are most common in girls who have just started school or have recently been potty trained. In addition to incontinence, UTIs can also cause frequent urination, a burning sensation when she urinates, cloudy or dark colored urine, strong smelling urine, and pain in the lower abdomen. UTIs can be treated with antibiotics.

   • Some children who get frequent UTIs also have a condition called asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU). These children, most frequently girls, have bacteria colonizing the bladder, meaning that they reside there, similar to having bacteria quietly living on our skin. This increase in bacteria in the urine can sometimes be the cause of frequent UTIs.
2. 
   2
   Keep irritation at a minimum. Many kids, particularly girls, will develop irritation and inflammation in the area of the urethral and vaginal openings when they have a UTI. You can use certain creams to help relieve the irritation your child feels. In particular, a zinc oxide-containing skin barrier cream or ointment such as Desitin or Triple Paste can be very helpful.

   • You can purchase these creams at your local pharmacy. Follow the directions on the bottle or box that the cream comes in.
3. 
   3
   Change your child's clothing when it becomes wet. The bacteria that creates a UTI thrives in moist areas. When your child experiences incontinence and leaks a bit of urine onto her clothes, it's important that she changes into dry clothes to keep her from getting a UTI or to relieve the symptoms of her UTI. This will also keep it from coming back.

   • You can explain this to her so that she does it herself, or you can ask her to tell you when this happens so that you can help her change.
4. 
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   Ask your doctor about antibiotics. If your child has recurrent UTIs, you should talk to the doctor about getting antibiotics to clear up the infection and prevent new infections. Your child's doctor will be able to tell you whether or not antibiotics are the appropriate treatment for your child to prevent infections. Your child will need antibiotics if he has an active UTI.

   • The most common antibiotics used for prophylaxis, or prevention of infections, are nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim sulfa. These are usually given once a day, at bedtime, at about ¼ of the usual full treatment dose given to adults.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Treating Constipation

1. 
   1
   Be aware of constipation. Another common cause of incontinence is constipation. When large amounts of stool stays in the body rather than being expelled, it can limit how much room the bladder has to expand and causes the bladder to have unpredictable contractions, both of which cause incontinence. Constipation usually causes infrequent bowel movements for 3 days or more in a row, hard, pebbly stools, very large stools, or pain when moving the bowels.
2. 
   2
   Have your doctor check your child. If you aren't sure how bad your child's constipation is, have a doctor figure out whether or not your child has a lot of stool backed up in her system. This can be done with the use of X-rays or through a physical examination.

   • Knowing for sure that your child is constipated will help her overcome her incontinence issues.
3. 
   3
   Ask your child to drink lots of fluids throughout the day. Many kids with urgency and incontinence tend not to drink much fluid, which actually makes their constipation worse. Try to have your child drink at least eight glasses of water each day to stay hydrated.

   • If your child doesn't like drinking plain water, you can give him fruit juices, milk (no more than 2-3 cups a day), and sports drinks.
4. 
   4
   Increase your child's fiber intake. To help fight constipation, increase your child's daily fiber intake. Fiber is one of the best ways to get your child's bowels working properly. There are plenty of foods that are high in fiber. Try introducing as many foods that are high in fiber as possible into your child's diet. Foods high is fiber include:

   • Fresh fruit and vegetables, including raspberries, blueberries, green peas, spinach, collard greens, acorn squash, kale, and broccoli.
   • Whole grain breads with at least three to four grams of fiber per serving.
   • High fiber cereals, such as Raisin Bran, Fiber One, Shredded Wheat, and All Bran.
   • Beans, including black, lima, garbanzo, and pinto beans. Lentils and popcorn are also high in fiber.
5. 
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   Give your child laxatives. Adding fiber-rich food to your child's diet may not be enough. If your child is still having problems, try child-safe laxatives. One laxative that is safe and frequently used is propylene glycol, more commonly known as MiraLax.

   • MiraLax causes water to be transported into the bowel, thereby softening the stool and improving movement.
   • You should check with your child's doctor for guidance before giving MiraLax or other laxatives to your child. Most kids require between ½ capfuls and two capfuls per day, and the dose may be adjusted as needed.
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