Page 2 - Dysfunctional Elimination in Children
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Dysfunctional elimination in children
A child who is constipated will often tense the pelvic The treatment will generally involve ensuring that
floor muscles to avoid stool accidents or to avoid your child is drinking adequate amounts of fluid
having a painful bowel movement. These muscles also and consuming a balanced diet with plenty of fruit,
control bladder emptying and, as a result, bladder vegetables and fibre. Such a plan should give your
function may be affected. For this reason, urinary child a healthy foundation for the future and promote
infection and wetting may be related to constipation. proper bowel evacuation.
Bladder and bowel problems often occur together
and must be treated together. When bowel function does not improve with dietary
measures alone, a laxative is often recommended.
Investigations Ensuring regular soft bowel movements is crucial to
children developing normal, healthy habits.
Your doctor’s assessment is the first step toward Your child should be encouraged to void regularly,
making a diagnosis and developing a treatment every two to three hours, to prevent bladder
plan. Your child’s bladder and bowel habits will be overfilling. The bladder should be emptied
reviewed in detail. A voiding diary, recording times immediately upon getting up in the morning and at
and amounts of urine voided, often will provide useful bedtime every night.
information. Physical examination may be helpful to
uncover an underlying physical problem. Your doctor In some cases, medication may be recommended
may recommend other investigations, as necessary. along with the above measures. If your child has an
overactive bladder, a bladder relaxant medication,
Treatment may decrease the urge to void and increase storage
capacity.
The aim of treatment for dysfunctional elimination is
to normalize bladder and bowel function, decreasing The good news is that most children overcome their
or preventing daytime and nighttime urine accidents, dysfunctional elimination problem. In the vast majority,
bowel accidents and urinary tract infections. Often, there is no permanent damage to bladder, kidney
a prolonged course of treatment (months to years), or bowel function. The condition can be frustrating
and ongoing parental patience and support are for parents and children given that improvement
necessary to ensure success. proceeds slowly. A dedicated doctor along with
your encouragement and support will go a long way
toward helping your child learn to void and defecate
normally.
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information contained in or referenced by this brochure. cua.org 14E-DECE-07-14
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