How to Help Your “Accident Prone” Child - a guide to paediatric incontinence.

Most children achieve urinary continence by age 5, but about 10% continue to have accidents past that point. Daytime or nighttime wetting can be uncomfortable for children and may limit their participation in sports, sleepovers, and other social activities.

Paediatric incontinence falls into two categories: nocturnal (nighttime or bedwetting) and diurnal (daytime wetting). Children may experience one or both types of incontinence. Various factors can contribute to this, such as:

• Voiding dysfunction or delaying bathroom visits

• Urinary tract infections

• Imbalance in pelvic floor muscles

• Distraction or avoidance

• Incomplete toilet training

• Constipation

• Stress or anxiety

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea

• Family history

If your child is over 5 and still struggles with incontinence, it’s important to have them evaluated by a pediatric or pelvic health physiotherapist.

What to Expect at Your Child’s First Appointment

Unlike adult pelvic exams, children’s pelvic health assessments do not involve internal examinations. Instead, the physiotherapist will take a detailed history from both the parent and the child to determine the underlying cause of the incontinence. They will also provide behavior modification strategies and exercises to help manage and treat the condition.