Also called bladder training, bladder retention training is a form of therapy that helps increase the bladder's ability to hold urine for longer periods of time. Used in children, bladder retention training serves the purpose of helping them develop better control over urination, thus reducing or eliminating wetting accidents. Learning the facts about bladder retention training for kids can help you decide if this form of bladder therapy might work in helping your child conquer wetting problems.
Bladder Development
Born without the ability to control voiding, infants and babies urinate automatically when their bladders become full. Generally between 2 and 3 years of age, most children start to develop the ability to control urination. Successful urination control requires communication between your child's bladder and nervous system and results in the release of urine through the coordination of multiple bladder muscles. In certain children, problems in this communication sequence may result in decreased bladder capacity, which often leads to wetting accidents or enuresis.
Bladder Retention Training
Bladder retention training focuses on increasing your child's functional bladder capacity, or the amount of urine present in your child's bladder when she feels the urge to void. Carolyn Schroeder, Ph.D., coauthor of the book "Assessment and Treatment of Childhood Problems," notes that children with decreased functional bladder capacity typically need to urinate more frequently during the day and experience an increased sense of urgency when they need to void. During bladder retention training, you provide extra daytime fluids and encourage your child to hold her urine as long as possible in between periods of voiding; depending upon various factors, most children can hold their urine flow for a few minutes to an hour, notes Dr. Schroeder. Over time, this technique trains the bladder to hold more urine before sending a signal to the brain that it is full.
Features
One of the most important tools in bladder retention training is the voiding diary. This consists of a written record--usually in the form of a notebook or binder--of your child's urination history, including the number of times she voids, as well as the amount of urine passed each time. At the beginning of bladder retention training, recording this information allows you and your child's doctor to determine his functional bladder capacity. As your child goes through bladder retention training, the voiding diary serves as the main tool in helping you determine if the bladder training is producing positive results.
Time Frame
You can help maximize your child's chances of experiencing success with bladder retention training by making an extra effort to eliminate potential roadblocks. Try not to let your child drink a lot of fluids in the evening, especially during the last two hours right before bedtime. Avoid caffeine and any other stimulants that you suspect may play a role in increasing your child's chances of accidentally wetting. Additional supportive techniques include developing a reward system and praising your child when she's successful during bladder training.
Considerations
Depending upon your child's age, bladder retention training may not be necessary. According to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, the majority of urinary incontinence cases in children disappear with time, especially in children over the age of 5. Your child may just have a small bladder; as time passes, his bladder should increase in size, which often eliminates the cause of childhood incontinence. In other cases, your child may just need more time for the communication between his brain and bladder to mature.
References
- National Association for Continence: Pediatric Bedwetting
- "Assessment and Treatment of Childhood Problems;" Carolyn Schroeder, Ph.D. & Betty Gordon, Ph.D.; 2002
- "Diseases and Disorders in Infancy and Early Childhood;" Janette Benson & Marshal Haith; 2009
- NKUDIC: Urinary Incontinence in Children
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