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It is common for children to wet themselves. It is estimated that most children stop bedwetting at the age of 5 and stop daytime wetting at the age of 6. But many children can stop earlier than that. And some children will stop later. Wetting yourself as a schoolchild is often both embarrassing and hard, but there is help to be had.
If you have a younger child, you can read more about potty training in this post.
Children who suddenly start wetting themselves again
If a child who is dry, starts wetting themselves again, it may be due to several things. If the child at the same time seems thirsty and pees a lot, then you need to go to the medical center. Increased thirst and urinating a lot is the only symptom of diabetes in the early stages. A urine sample shows whether there is sugar in the urine. If there is sugar in the urine, go directly to the children’s emergency room. If there is no sugar in your urine, you can relax – it is not diabetes.
How often does the child go to the bathroom?
A lot of kids wet themselves because they have been holding on all day. It is common for children to feel uncomfortable with the toilets at preschool or school. Some children may not mind the toilets, but are so committed to what they are doing that they forget to pee. When the child holds onto the pee, the bladder becomes tense and overcrowded. Sometimes a few drops seep out or when the child really cannot last longer, then they will have to let it go. An overcrowded bladder is also more easily affected by urinary tract infection, which can also lead to leakage.
You can read more about urinary tract infection in children here.
Many children find tricks to hold on
Many children whose bladder becomes full quickly, often find tricks to hold on. Girls sit on their heels so it presses against the vagina and thus holds back the impulse to pee. Boys can often hold onto their penis with their hands in their pockets. This isn’t good. It’s true that children can postpone the toilet run, but this will affect the normal functioning of their bladder.
First stage of treatment: pee plan!
The first stage of treatment is a peeing schedule. The child should go to the toilet and try to pee every three hours. That is, approximately at every meal / snack. Find times that match the child’s fixed routines. Help the child remember. Talk to teachers/recreational educators about helping the child remember in preschool/school/at leisure time.
Second stage of treatment: constipation treatment
Peeing and pooping belong together. Many, many children who wet themselves are constipated. I prescribe constipation treatment to the vast majority of children who wet themselves. If you want to try it at home, you can give Lactulose, which is available without a prescription at the pharmacy.
You can read more about constipation in children here.
Schedules and lactulose isn’t helping – seek a pediatrician
If a pee schedule and lactulose does not help in a few weeks, seek a pediatrician. There’s more help to be had! Often referrals from a health centre are needed. The pediatrician often has a specialist paediatric nurse and if you are extra lucky a pediatric urotherapist. The latter are rare birds, unfortunately, so don’t count on it.
The pediatrician examines the child, and the nurse lets the child urinate on a special toilet with a meter that can show whether the child’s bladder is overactive, underactive or functioning normally. The nurse also checks if the child can empty their bladder.
Depending on the results of the investigation, there are different methods to try. If the child urinates at night, there are bedwetting alarms which are effective, but very demanding for the family.
A gold mine of information about children and peeing is the Swedish Enuresakademin’s website. We don’t visit the website for it’s design, but for their excellent information!
Read more:
Potty training – when to stop using diapers and how to become diaper-free.
Urinary tract infection (UTI) in children and babies – symptoms and treatment