Patient education: Daytime wetting in children (The Basics)

Is daytime wetting normal? — Yes, it can be normal. By age 4, most children can control their bladder and stay dry during the day. But even normal children ages 4 to 6 – and even older – can still have "accidents" during the day and wet themselves.

Daytime wetting can be very upsetting and stressful for children, especially when they go to school or day care.

What causes daytime wetting? — Most of the time, daytime wetting is not caused by a medical problem. The following things can cause daytime wetting:

●The child's behavior or habits – For example, children who are very active might wet themselves because they wait too long to use the toilet.

●Constipation, which is when children have trouble having a bowel movement

●Urinary tract problems or infections (figure 1)

●Nervous system problems

Should my child see the doctor or nurse? — Your child should see the doctor or nurse if they:

●Are upset or stressed by the daytime wetting

●Start having daytime wetting after they were able to stay dry all day before

●Have pain when urinating or feels the need to urinate often

●Leak urine after they have finished urinating

●Have many urinary tract infections, constipation, or another condition that could be causing daytime wetting

The doctor or nurse will talk with you about your child's symptoms and do an exam. They might also do a urine test. Before the appointment, they might ask you to keep a record for a few days of:

●How much your child drinks

●How often your child urinates and has bowel movements

●When the daytime wetting happens

If your doctor finds a medical problem, they might treat the problem, order more tests, or have your child see a specialist. But this is not common.

What can I do to try to stop my child's daytime wetting? — You can try different things at home to stop your child's daytime wetting.

●Make a schedule and have your child urinate every 2 to 3 hours during the day. Give your child rewards for following the schedule.

●Have your child follow the doctor's advice about how to sit when urinating

●Remind your child not to hold in urine and to urinate before they feel the urge to

●Have your child sit for a few minutes after they urinate to let all the urine drain from the body

●Avoid bubble baths or using soap on the genital area (in girls). These can irritate the genital area and worsen daytime wetting.

●Treat your child's constipation, if your child is constipated. Ask your doctor or nurse about ways to do this.

Stopping daytime wetting can be very hard and can take a long time. So you and your child will need to work together.

Remember that children cannot help their daytime wetting. You should never punish, tease, or get mad at your child for it.

Are there other treatments for daytime wetting? — If your child still has daytime wetting after trying the tips above, talk with the doctor or nurse. They might do other tests or suggest other treatments that could help.

More on this topic

Patient education: Bedwetting in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Constipation in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Urinary tract infections in adults (The Basics)

Patient education: Toilet training (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Bedwetting in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Urinary tract infections in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Constipation in infants and children (Beyond the Basics)