Although urinary incontinence may be a symptom of a particular disease, most children with this disorder do not have any specific cause that could explain this phenomenon. In fact, only 1% of children have certain diseases that cause incontinence.
This does not mean that the child controls the urination process or does it on purpose. Nor can it be said that incontinent children are lazy or disobedient. Incontinence is one of the stages in the development of a child.
Types of urinary incontinence
There are two types of urinary incontinence: primary and secondary. Primary incontinence is incontinence, which continues from early childhood, without stopping. A child with primary incontinence very rarely stays dry at night. Secondary incontinence is incontinence caused by any cause, although the child previously controlled urination and remained dry every night. Secondary incontinence can last at least six months.
Causes of primary incontinence
The cause of primary incontinence can be one symptom or a combination of several:
- The baby cannot control urination all night.
- The baby cannot wake up when the bladder is full.
- The baby produces a large amount of urine in the evening and at night.
- The child has poor urination hygiene.Most children ignore the urge and try to endure as long as possible. Parents can notice this by the way their children cross their legs, wrinkle their faces, squirm, squat to the ground, squeeze the groin area, just not to go to the toilet.
Causes of secondary incontinence
Secondary incontinence is a consequence of a disease or emotional problems. A child with secondary incontinence usually has other symptoms, such as daytime incontinence. The most common infections that cause secondary incontinence include:
- Urinary Tract Infections: Irritation of the bladder can cause pain or a burning sensation during urination, strong urge or frequent urination.Urinary tract infections in children can mean another problem, for example, physiological pathologies.
- Diabetes: People with diabetes have high blood sugar levels.The body increases urine formation to get rid of excess sugar. Therefore, a common symptom that manifests itself in diabetics is frequent urination.
- Physiological pathologies: A pathology of the internal organs, muscle tissue or nerves that are involved in the process of urination may causeincontinence or other problems in the process of urination, which may manifest as incontinence during sleep.
- Neurological problems: Pathologies, injuries or diseases of the nervous system can disrupt the sensitive neurological balance, which is responsible for monitoring urination.
- Emotional problems: Stress at home, such as constant conflicts between parents, can cause urinary incontinence in a child.In addition, incontinence can cause serious changes in life, such as school, a new child in the family, relocation and other stresses. In some cases, children who have been physically abused or raped may interfere with urinary control.
Can incontinence transferred by genes?
Incontinence can be inherited. In most children with urinary incontinence, parents also suffered from this phenomenon. In general, children outgrow incontinence at the same age as their parents.
Night terrors
Night terrors are significantly different from nightmares. Symptoms of nightly fears occur more often and are accompanied by bouts of crying and fear during sleep (it’s very difficult to wake the child).
Night terrors usually occur in children aged 3-12 years.
Who is subject to night fears?
From 1% to 6% of children experience night terrors. Usually it goes away with age.
Causes of night fears
The reasons for night fear may include:
- Stressful events
- Heat
- Lack of sleep
- Medications that affect the brain.
Symptoms of night fears
In addition to the frequent episodes of sudden crying and fear during sleep, the child may also experience the following:
- Cardiopalmus
- Rapid breathing
- Excessive sweating
Unlike nightmares, most children are not able to tell what caused such fear and do not remember at all what happened the next morning.
What happens during the night fear episode?
The usual attack of nighttime fear begins 90 minutes after falling asleep. The child gets into bed, screams. The child is confused, does not respond to questions and irritations. At first glance, it seems that the child is awake, but he is not aware of the presence of the parents and usually does not talk. The child may toss in the bed and not respond to reassuring parents.
Some episodes can last a few minutes, others – up to 30 minutes.