- The condition called over active bladder occurs when an individual has a strong need to urinate and with an accompanying feeling of inability to stop or hold the urination. Most children have frequent urination accidents, which decrease in frequency as they get older.
- Other than the sudden onset of a need to urinate, the symptoms include the need to urinate more than eight times during a day and more than twice each night. Children with over active bladders also have frequent urination accidents.
- Children with over active bladder may have a urinary tract infection, in which case the muscles are unable to keep the urine in the bladder until a bathroom is reached. Other causes of over active bladder in children include a small-sized bladder, anxiety, constipation and allergies.
- If an over active bladder in a child appears suddenly, it could be the sign of a urinary tract infection, especially in female children. Urinary tract infections, left untreated, can cause serious complications.
- Often, simply waiting for the child to grow will treat this condition, but if a urinary tract infection is the diagnosis, antibiotics are required for treatment. For over active bladders in children without urinary tract infections, treatments including scheduled urination, training of muscles during urination, and a medication that relaxes bladder muscles have all been shown to be effective.
