Young children with CP may have problems with bladder and bowel continence for many reasons. It could simply be related to their age – all young children have to learn how to hold their wee and poo as they develop bladder and bowel control.

However, it can take longer for your child to learn this control. Incontinence can impact your child’s quality of life, so it’s important to get help from your healthcare team about how to manage toilet training and to support your child through the process.

Urinary incontinence can be due to an underdeveloped bladder, genitals, urinary tract or urethra. Your young child may be having issues with urinary continence due to:

• an over-active bladder, which can cause your child to feel a sudden need to wee often. This can be due to the bladder not storing urine properly
• an under-active bladder, when the bladder does not empty fully, so your child may dribble out some wee after finishing on the toilet
• constipation or urinary tract infections, which can sometimes result in temporary daytime wetting
• going through a stressful time, such as starting preschool.

Urinary incontinence may be an issue that comes and goes, or it can be continuous.

When the muscles in the bowel can’t contract due to less mobility, the body can’t poo properly and constipation can occur. It’s important that you keep track of how often your child has a poo so that you can pick up any issues early.

If you’re concerned about your child’s continence, talk to your GP, maternal and child health nurse or paediatrician.

Your GP can refer your child to a medical or allied health professional, such as a urologist or a continence nurse, who will be able to provide your child with a comprehensive assessment and create a program to help you manage any issues.

This will help you find the best ways to manage your child’s continence.

In the below section, you will find more information related to continence, and relevant therapies and interventions.