MANAGING BLADDER
and Bowel Issues
IN NURSERIES, SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
PROBLEMS WITH BLADDER AND BOWEL CONTROL ARE AMONG THE MOST COMMON MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE EXPERIENCE
T
hey are thought to affect over 900,000 people aged between 5 and 19 years of age, although this is likely to be an underestimate. Due to embarrassment, stigma and the mistaken belief that they children will grow out of the problems, many families do not ask for help. There have been lots of press reports in the last few years about increasing numbers of children starting school in nappies. Sometimes it is thought that families are not trying to toilet train their children. However, this is rarely the case. Most families do all that they can to support their child’s development but may not have any knowledge or experience
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with toilet training. They may have been advised to wait until their child is ready, without being given any information about what this means. There is some evidence that toilet training later than used to happen in previous generations, may be causing an increase in the number of children who have difficulties with continence (being able to stay clean and dry). Some children may have an underlying problem that makes toilet training more difficult such as constipation, sensory differences or a physical or learning disability. For primary aged children problems with bladder or bowel control may arise as the result of an underlying condition.
Bedwetting, needing the toilet at short notice (appearing to leave it to the last minute), needing to go more frequently than is typical, or constipation may all impact on school. As bladder and bowel conditions are not talked about very often, there is a lack of understanding that these affect children of all ages. Therefore, teachers may understandably think that the child who is fidgeting because they need the toilet is just not concentrating or has behaviour problems. They may also think that the child who is asking to go to the toilet frequently is trying to escape from classroom routines or difficult work.
