Pediatric Bladder Issues

According to the NIH, 1 in 10 children has a problem with daytime wetting at age 5. Children normally gain control over their bladders somewhere between ages 2 and 4, though occasional wetting is common  in 4- 6 year-old children.

Daytime wetting

Causes of daytime wetting include:

• Holding urine too long, causing the bladder to overfill and leak urine
• Overactive bladder- bladder squeezes without warning, causing frequent runs for the toilet and wet clothes.
  • Constipation is the most common cause
  • Drinking caffeinated or carbonated beverages
  • Emotionally upset/Anxiety
  • Frequent urinary tract infections
  • Neurological issues that may cause a child to have difficulty recognizing a full bladder
  • Refraining from completely emptying the bladder when on the toilet
  • Underlying sleep apnea

• Underactive bladder- the child has very little urge to urinate and uses the toilet only a few times a day (less than 3). These children may have to strain to urinate and have a weak urine stream
  • Common symptoms:
    • Urgency
    • Frequency
    • Nocturia
    • Incontinence (overflow, urge, and/or stress)
    • Hesitancy
    • Incomplete emptying
    • Straining to void
    • Recurrent infections
• Disordered urination- the bladder muscles and nerves do not work together smoothly
  • Muscles may cut off urine flow too soon
  • Urine left in the bladder may leak

PT for kids

Children with bladder and/or bowel issues can benefit from pelvic PT, too! The PT will perform a thorough examination of the child, assessing posture, flexibility, and hip and core strength. With the permission of the parent(s) and child, an external examination of the pelvic floor can also be performed, to assess the child’s ability to squeeze the pelvic floor muscles or bear down. The child and parent(s) will be given a bladder diary to fill out and also learn about proper toileting postures, bladder habits, dietary irritants. The child and parent(s) will also be given an individualized  home program to strengthen the core and pelvic floor muscles.

Body Harmony Physical Therapy offers one pelvic health physical therapist to one patient evaluation and treatment sessions. Our treatment sessions last up to one hour in a private treatment room. We provide individualized home programs to every patient. We offer a quick call back option for potential patients who have questions or concerns related to physical therapy.

References

• Image: Image by brgfx on Freepik
• https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/bladder-control-problems-bedwetting-children/definition-facts
• https://www.healthline.com/health/overactive-bladder-children
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3651538/
• https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/voiding-dysfunction#:~:text=Children%20with%20an%20underactive%20bladder,it%20is%20time%20to%20go.