All children have different frequencies of urination, however, abnormal frequency is often readily apparent. In general, a child should feel the need to urinate and do so every two to three hours. This frequency can become abnormally high or low in certain environments or as a result of specific conditions. Changes in frequency of urination should be discussed with your pediatrician or a pediatric urologist.
Significance
Urinary frequency is a measurement that is fairly specific to each individual child, however, drastic changes in frequency can indicate underlying issues. Normal urinary frequency indicates proper kidney function, as well as healthy communication between the child's brain and bladder muscles. According to the Keep Kids Healthy website, changes in frequency can indicate an abnormality in these or other body systems.
Normal Urination Frequency
Though specific frequency of urination will vary for every child, there are generalities that can be applied to most kids. According to the UCSF patient information sheet on pediatric continence, you can expect your child to urinate every two to three hours. This urination frequency will naturally depend on diet, water intake and the environment around the child.
Abnormal Frequency of Urination
Drastic changes in urination can indicate underlying pathology in your child's urine. As described by the Keep Kids Healthy website, increases in urinary frequency can indicate a number of disorders including urinary tract infection, diabetes mellitus or voiding dysfunction. According to DrHull.com, kidney disease can also cause a severe decrease in urinary frequency.
Considerations
In children, increases in urinary frequency do not necessarily indicate underlying pathology. In fact, until about 5 to 7 years of age, many children have problems with proper urinary habits, according to the UCSF handout on child continence. Additionally, your child could suffer from a condition known simply as daytime urinary frequency syndrome, in which they urinate up to every 10 minutes in very small volumes. Disorders such as these should be discussed with your pediatrician.
Prevention/Solution
Careful observation of your child's urinary habits is critical for properly identifying abnormalities in your child's urination. According to the Keep Kids Healthy website, it is also important to note the volume of urine that your child is producing in addition to the frequency. Increased urine volume associated with increased frequency can mean very different diagnosis than increased frequency without increase in volume. All changes in your child's urination are best discussed with your pediatrician or a specialist.
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