Involuntary Urination In Children

Normally, involuntary urination stops on its own as the child grows older. If not, lifestyle changes need to be made.

The action of involuntarily urinating is also known as bedwetting or nighttime incontinence. When a person has it, they involuntarily urinate while sleeping at an age when it shouldn’t happen.

However, they do not have to occur specifically at night. In addition, for it to be considered a disease, it must occur at least twice a day for at least three consecutive months in children over four years of age.

The action of urinating involuntarily is generally more common in men. Although this is a relatively common disorder, the Pediatrics Association says few epidemiological studies of the condition have been done. However, all the data agree that the incidence decreases as the child grows.

Nocturnal enuresis: involuntary urination

Causes

The action of involuntary urination does not yet have a well-defined main cause. However, several factors can play a key role in its occurrence:

• Small bladder : the bladder is not developed enough to hold the urine produced.
• Inability to recognize bladder filling : the child sleeps soundly and does not wake up when their bladder is full. This can happen because the nerves that control the bladder have not matured enough.
• Lack of hormonal balance : when the individual does not have sufficient production of antidiuretic hormone or vasopressin.
• Urinary tract infection : In addition to the action of urinating involuntarily, the need to urinate often, reddish or pinkish urine, and pain during urination also appear in this type of infection.
• Sleep apnea : Sometimes the action of urinating involuntarily is a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. It is a disorder in which the child’s breathing is interrupted during sleep.
• Chronic constipation : the same muscles are used for defecating as for urinating. Therefore, when constipation is prolonged over time, these muscles may experience some dysfunction and contribute to bedwetting.

In addition to the causes mentioned above, this condition is often hereditary, so if one of the parents had this problem in childhood, the chances of their children having it as well.

Finally, it should be mentioned that stressful situations also promote the appearance of the action of involuntary urination in children.

Symptoms and complications

This assignment does not imply any threat to the health of the patient, as long as its cause is not physical. The main symptom is, as the name suggests, involuntary urination. It usually occurs at night and at least twice a month.

In terms of complications, the child or affected person may feel ashamed or a loss of self-esteem as a result of the problem, so it is important to reassure them. Also, if the bedwetting is due to a physical problem and the case is not treated properly, significant complications can arise.

The child may also have rashes on the buttocks and genitals if they sleep in wet underwear.

Treatment and precautions

For starters, it’s important to go to the bathroom at regular times during the day and night to try and prevent certain aspects of bedwetting.

This problem usually does not resolve itself until the child gets older. If this is not the case, you should change your lifestyle, for example by limiting your intake of fluids during the evening.

If the situation still does not change, the doctor may opt for pharmacological treatment and the use of humidity alarms. Alarms are devices connected to a moisture sensitive pad. When the child begins to urinate, it rings to wake him up.

Medication is the last resort. They are used to delay the production of urine at night and to soothe the bladder.

In addition to these measures, there are a number of precautions that help to resolve this issue:

• Encourage the child to urinate twice before going to bed.
• Suggest that she urinate about every 2 hours.
• Avoid rashes by helping to rinse the buttocks and genital area every morning.

Therefore, although bedwetting is common in children and goes away with maturation, in some cases it may persist. Then it will be necessary to consult a doctor in case of doubt.