A pediatrician we saw recommended a 5 minute sit/read on the toilet every 2 hours and a gentle laxative to assist with regular bowel movements. We tried this for a month but it didn't work. The pediatrician was stern about revisiting this remedy but it was impossible to maintain when my daughter started Pre-school and she has now returned to accidents with both urine and bowel every day. She was cleared of a UTI and I am very patient and accepting when the accidents hapen so I don't think it is psychological. She is about to go on her first school excursion tomorrow and I have to resort to using a sanitary pad so she isn't embarrassed with her friends.
Do you have any further suggestions?
Hi Amanda – while it is quite common for children to continue to experience nighttime incontinence at age 5, regular daytime accidents are less common and should be investigated further. Most children your daughter’s age will show a strong desire to be dry during the day so it is highly unlikely that she is doing this on purpose. Regular drinks of water throughout the day, along with a diet high in fibre will help reduce the chance of constipation, a contributing factor to daytime accidents. Help her to identify those common signals indicating she needs to empty her bladder or bowels. These are often ignored by children, particularly when there are so many other wonderful things to do in their day. If you are dissatisfied with the approach taken by your Pediatrician you have every right to request a referral to another specialist, preferably someone who specializes in treating children’s continence issues. In the meantime I would recommend that you use DryNites rather than sanitary pads – these will hold both urine and faeces, will be more comfortable for your daughter to wear and are less prone to leakage. Daytime wetting can be incredibly upsetting for children so it is important that you continue to be as patient as possible, celebrating all small successes, while ignoring failures (as difficult as this may be).
Regards,
Dr Cathrine
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