Frequently Asked Questions

Most children, like adults, empty their bladders between four and eight times daily. As children tend to be more involved in active, often sweaty games (and don’t always drink enough liquids) it could be less. However, if your child goes to the toilet frequently it may be a good idea to check with your local doctor that everything is OK.

What is constipation?
Constipation is generally defined as having difficulty, delay or pain in passing a stool and the stool doesn’t have to be hard for this to happen. It’s quite common during childhood.

How often should children be passing solids?
Every child is different but the average range for a child is said to be no more than 3 stools per day to no less than 3 stools per week.

What causes constipation?
In 90-95% of cases there is no underlying cause to worry about. You may have heard of the term ‘functional’ or ‘idiopathic’ constipation. This simply means there is no identifiable cause. However, if you have any concerns you should always consult your GP or paediatrician.

What about soiling?
Soiling is when your child passes a stool direct into their underwear. This is entirely involuntary and outside of the child's control. In 95% of cases it’s the result of long term constipation that has gone undetected for several months but once dealt with, the problem usually goes away.

Can soiling be due to behavioural problems?
Parents often worry that soiling may be down to 'laziness' or 'naughtiness'. However, this is not the case and children should never be made to feel guilty or ashamed of soiling. Involuntary soiling can in fact be the cause of behavioural problems as a result of feelings of embarrassment, fear of being found out and even anger. These behavioural problems often significantly improve following successful treatment.

How can soiling be treated?
You should always ask your GP or paediatrician about the appropriate treatment for your child, but the first thing they will do is look to treat the constipation.

This normally involves 2 phases: the first phase being the evacuation of the retained stool which usually involves taking oral laxatives specifically for children. They may also be used in the second or ‘maintenance’ phase to prevent further blockage.

Diet and fluid intake may also need to be adjusted particularly during the maintenance phase, but just adding more fibre to the diet has not been found to be effective.
Again, your GP or nurse is best placed to advise on the right dietary requirements for your child and also on how to teach good toilet habits to ensure progress in the future.

Whenever a child eats or drinks, the body absorb liquids. The kidneys then filter waste products from the body fluids and make urine. A continuous trickle passes from the kidneys to the bladder, which slowly expands. Once the bladder is full, a signal goes to the brain indicating the need to go to the toilet. Once at the toilet, the brain then tells the large bladder muscle to squeeze and contract. At the same time it tells the support muscles (or pelvic floor muscles) that surround the urethra (the outlet from the bladder) to relax and let the urine pass.

Be patient. He will most likely grow out of it. Things should improve as he gets older and his bladder capacity increases. Make sure he is drinking around 6-8 drinks per day with the last drink about an hour before bed. Also make sure he does a big wee last thing before he goes to sleep.  Make sure there is easy access to the toilet at night or leave a potty by the bed. If he is very upset by the wetting, try using a protection product to keep him dry and comfortable at night and if the bedwetting is still a problem when he reaches 5 years then do speak to your local health care professional such as the school nurse. Or, if you think your child may have an infection, or is constipated, get your local doctor to check him.

Some people believe this, but there is little scientific evidence to support it. In fact, it’s more likely that bed wetting causes anxiety than the other way around. The best thing to do is identify the root cause of that anxiety so it can be dealt with. You can find out tips on how to reduce any anxiety around incontinence in What you can do. However some children do wet the bed after they have been dry for a while (called secondary bedwetting) which is sometimes linked to a significant event such as starting a new school or a family upset such as parents getting divorced.

No. Drinking less will only make the urine more concentrated, which will in turn irritate the bladder, causing more frequent urination. It’s best to let your child drink when they need to so they learn to naturally regulate their fluid intake (between 6-8 drinks per day) However, it may be worthwhile to discourage drinking near bedtime.

This site deals with the most prevalent forms of bladder weakness and, due to limited space, greater detail isn’t possible. We would recommend talking to your doctor.

There is a condition called ‘giggle’ incontinence which only happens when the person laughs but it is very rare. More commonly laughing causes an increase in abdominal pressure which can cause the bladder to suddenly start emptying, particularly if there is an underlying problem with an ‘over active’ bladder. Also some girls who are very active in high impact sports such as trampolining can develop a slightly weakened pelvic floor with some resultant ‘stress’ incontinence.  In all cases it is advisable to seek further medical advice regarding the best treatment and to exclude an underlying infection or constipation.
If the wetting is causing distress and while waiting for treatment it may be an idea to supply her with discreet urine protection, such as TENA Lady Mini Magic. This will keep any urine leakage away from the skin for better comfort (reducing the risk of irritation), and has Odour Control for freshness and confidence.

TENA products are not suitable for swimming due to the absorbent nature of the materials.

TENA products can be found in most supermarkets and chemists.

Supermarkets usually sell the lighter TENA range of products. Chemists can offer a wider range, and if they don’t stock a particular TENA product, then they can place an order with the wholesaler.

For a list of retailers, please look in either the Products or Where to buy section of this website. Alternatively, call the TENA Advice Line on 0845 30 80 80 30.

TENA products can also be bought online at TENA Direct: www.tenadirect.co.uk

For further advice, see Useful Links.

You could also contact:

PromoCon on 0161 834 2001 for further information and advice regarding continence products, resources and services

www promocon.co.uk

ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence) on 0117 301 2101 for advice and information regarding continence problems in children and young people

www.eric.org.uk