Hi Susan – bladder training is typically recommended for children who have a small bladder capacity – this is often evidenced by children bedwetting at night as well as needing to use the toilet at frequent intervals during the day. Some children don’t drink enough during the day (and may actually restrict how much they drink to try to avoid wetting the bed at night) and this can cause their bladder to shrink needing to empty long before it is at capacity. Bladder training is therefore used to slowly increase a child’s bladder capacity and involves children holding their urine for increasingly longer intervals during the day. For example, your daughter might start by urinating every 40 minutes, and increase this time by 10-15 minutes every few weeks. The goal would be to lengthen the time between toilet breaks so that she goes every two or three hours. The amount of urine passed at particular times during the day and night should be measured and recorded once weekly to track success. Up to 60 percent of children who experience bedwetting do experience some improvement with bladder training. Bladder training should only be considered under the guidance and support of a doctor or other health professional. Some doctors do not recommend this method due to the increased risk of daytime accidents so you really need to think this through before adopting this approach.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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