We as parents always go through situations where your child needs to pee when you are out shopping or at a restaurant or even at the park. For some reason, this happens when there are no restrooms in sight leaving you to do the only thing possible i.e. letting them go on the side of the road hoping no one sees you. While scolding your child for not going to the washroom before he/she left home is one approach that every parent has taken, a better understanding of why they do what they do will help parents understand where they are coming from.
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a type of urinary incontinence, where the urine is involuntarily released. A child may need to urinate frequently and since it’s uncontrollable, he or she may not be able to reach a restroom in time to urinate. Though common in children it does happen to adults as well. This is especially true for women who have recently delivered and have gone through urinary incontinence. OAB shouldn’t be mistaken with bed-wetting which is caused entirely due to different factors. Frequent urination is scientifically known as Pollakiuria.
If your child is frequently urinating without being able to control the urge to pee, then talking to your doctor would be a good step to determine the cause.
The main symptom of pollakiuria in children is that they need to urinate almost 10 to 30 times in a day but only small amounts of urine. This affects children between ages 3 to 8yrs old. Though there is no concrete evidence to support this theory, many experts feel it is a psychological problem where stress plays a major role. There are many causes of frequent urination in children, some of them are:
Pollakiuria symptoms in children include
Once any of the above symptoms are observed in a child, the doctor will run a few tests to diagnose whether the child is indeed suffering from OAB or anything else. The results will help them determine what the causes might be. Few of the tests done are:
There are several treatments for frequent urination in children. The frequency reduces in time as the child grows up and can hold his/her bladder for a longer duration of time. At times, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics if the cause is a UTI. The doctor would encourage proper bathroom habits like going to the restroom every few hours and controlling the urge to go in between. This technique is used for kids across the world and is called “bladder retraining”. If the child is suffering from anxiety related issues or stress, encouraging the child to talk to someone they trust or a psychologist may help understand what is worrying him/her. In case the child’s frequent urination is because of diabetes then the doctor will prescribe appropriate insulin medication to keep the high blood sugar levels in control.
Prevention is always the best option and in this case, there are various measures one can make to avoid your child from developing OAB, here are few tips:
At times, simple home remedies may prove beneficial in helping the child to treat frequent urination. Following a proper schedule for the child to urinate and rewarding the positive feedbacks act as an incentive which can make a difference. Give bladder friendly foods and drinks like curds, water, and fibre while avoiding foods that cause irritation like chocolate, caffeinated beverages etc.
Overall frequent urination in children can be exhausting to both child and parent. The condition itself is treatable and harmless. Following preventive measures can also help children to avoid developing an overactive bladder resulting in frequent urination. As the child grows up and can have better control of his/her bowel muscles, this condition will reduce and phase away. It is essential that you know that this is temporary and assure your child of the same. Be a source of support to your child and be positive.