He is no longer a baby, but a big boy, and he is proud that he can go to the bathroom by himself as soon as he feels like it. But this process sometimes develops with certain difficulties in some children.
Some unintentionally leak their needs in their underwear. It is a subject that is not discussed. “For many it is extremely unpleasant, they are very embarrassed,” says pediatrician Melanie Ahaus.
Affected families are no exception. According to specialists, between 1.5% and 3% of 7-year-olds they do not control their sphincters in the case of fecal matter.
It occurs more frequently in boys than in girls. Also for enuresis (loss of bladder control) specialists have figures: according to them, approximately 10% of 7-year-old boys urinate in bed at night, with boys being twice as many as girls here. During the day about 2-3% are affected by the problem.
When dealing with a child with incontinence, one thing is important above all: “Parents should never scold or even punish the child”, says the pediatrician. rather they should accompany them with love and convey the feeling that the incontinence will be transitory.
Possible causes for infant incontinence
And it is that “in the vast majority of cases, behind the lack of sphincter control or incontinence there is no pathological problem,” explains Ahaus. It is often part of the maturation process. Children sometimes sleep very soundly at night and are not necessarily awakened by pressure in the bowel or bladder. And then it happens… To determine that the incontinence really does not have a pathological background, it is necessary to do an ultrasound of the kidneys..
And, if necessary, the bladder should also be checked. According to urologist Daniela Schultz-Lampel, chronic constipation can be hidden behind the lack of control over stool. “At first it sounds contradictory,” she admits. But in that case, in the intestine, a thin and liquid feces makes its way through the hardest fecal bolus.
The child cannot control these liquid stools and they end up in his underwear. To help the girl or boy, you must first try to detect the cause of this chronic constipation. “There are factors -such as a diet low in fiber or too little movement- that play a role,” says Schultz-Lampel.
There are also certain behaviors that can lead to chronic constipation. “Many parents tell their children not to go to the bathroom in other places because it may be dirty”, exemplifies Schultz-Lampel. Therefore, girls and boys hold back the urge to go to the bathroom. This can lead to the fact that, at some point, the intestine is too full and it is painful to empty it, because the stool has hardened due to constipation.
To avoid that pain, children retain even more. A true vicious circle. The basis for a therapy in the case of infantile encopresis – the condition in which a child resists defecation, which causes feces to accumulate in the colon and rectum and leaks – is a protocol of visits to the bathroom. Parents should do it with their children for two weeks.
“Based on this protocol and on the basis of the clinical history, the pediatrician can then establish a therapy”, explains Schultz-Lampel. Returning to enuresis: it can occur when the child’s psyche is not well. “An indication that parents should see a doctor is when the child did not urinate at night and suddenly begins to do so”, specifies the pediatrician Ahaus.
No liquids after 18:00
In any case, according to her, bedwetting is often harmless. If a checkup shows that the child is healthy, then certain modifications in how much and when he drinks can help a lot.
“The child should drink enough throughout the day, but before the night, after 6:00 p.m., not drink anymore,” says Ahaus. Before sleeping, the child should go to the bathroom. It can also help to give up drinks that contain caffeine, such as colas. These are diuretics, which favors incontinence. For children who urinate during the day, it can be useful to take them to the bathroom at fixed times. “If necessary, an alarm clock can remind the boy or girl every two hours to go to the bathroom,” suggests Ahaus.
Source: Eluniverso
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