While it is quite common for children to continue to experience nighttime incontinence at age 6, regular daytime accidents are less common and should be investigated further by your GP. There are a number of reasons why children may experience urinary incontinence throughout the day. The most common reason is that they have overactive bladders, not drinking enough fluid throughout the day (quite common among school-age children) and consuming drinks high in caffeine can worsen overactive bladders and contribute to daytime wetting. Constipation can also commonly cause daytime wetting which is easily resolved with treatment for the constipation. If you think this may be contributing you can treat constipation by increasing fluids and introducing additional fibre into his diet. Another less common cause of daytime (and nighttime) wetting is urinary tract infections (particularly in children who were previously dry). Sometimes accidents occur simply because children leave it too late to go to the toilet – remind him to go to the toilet regularly (aim for 5-7 times a day), and not to hold on for too long if he experiences the urge to go. Help him to identify those common signals indicating he needs to empty his bladder. These are often ignored by children, particularly when there is something far more interesting that grabs their attention. In the meantime you can help manage his wetting by putting him in DryNites. Any form of daytime wetting certainly puts children at risk of being teased by their peers so our ultimate goal is to ensure he feels confident and secure until he is able to stay dry by himself.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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