Voiding dysfunction may be related to urinary tract infections, constipation, stress at school or at home, or drinking caffeine. In most children, overactive bladder improves with age. But in the meantime, try to have your child use the bathroom every two hours whether he or she thinks it's necessary or not.
Caregivers should take a toddler with any of the following symptoms to see a doctor: no urinating for over 3 hours. more urination than normal. diarrhea that lasts for more than 24 hours.
Fewer wet diapers
In infants and toddlers, persistently dry diapers are a telltale sign of dehydration. If your baby is younger than 6 months and produces little to no urine in 4 to 6 hours, or if your toddler produces little to no urine in 6 to 8 hours, they may be dehydrated.
A young child or infant should urinate at least every 6 hours. An older child should urinate at least 3 times every 24 hours. Call your doctor immediately if your child is dehydrated.
A visit to a doctor is usually needed if your child has trouble urinating, can't urinate, or has blood in his or her urine.
Call your doctor if your baby or child has a dry mouth, fewer tears than usual, and no wet diapers or hasn't urinated in more than 6 hours. Get emergency help right away if your child or baby is very sleepy and hard to wake up, or if your baby or child hasn't had any wet diapers or hasn't urinated in 12 or more hours.
The symptoms of urinary retention can range from severe abdominal pain and the inability to urinate, to few or no symptoms at all. Urinary retention results from either a blockage that partially or fully prevents the flow of urine, or your bladder not being able to maintain a strong enough force to expel all the urine.
Holding is likely to overstretch the bladder, it also makes children more likely to endure a urinary tract infection and also it can lead to kidney damage due to the back pressure. Please be reassured however, that if this issue does not continue for too long, it won't have a long term effect.
Children with an underactive bladder are able to go for more than 6-8 hours without urinating. These children sometimes have to strain to urinate because the bladder muscle itself can become “weak” from being overstretched and may not respond to the brain's signal that it is time to go.
Here are some signs of a UTI: Pain, burning, or a stinging feeling when urinating. Urinating often or feeling an urgent need to urinate, even without passing urine. Foul-smelling urine that may look cloudy or have blood in it.
To encourage your child to wee, you can gently rub their lower abdomen (tummy) for a few minutes using a clean piece of gauze soaked in cold water (Figure 2). Hold the container away from your child's skin when catching the urine (Figure 3).
In severe cases, dehydration can lead to shock or even death. If you or your child is vomiting, has a fever, or is unable to urinate, you should go to the ER right away.
Bladder issues
If your child is only urinating two or three times per day, that's not enough. Holding urine too long can cause urinary tract infections, especially in girls. Kids should urinate five or six times per day, she says — about every two to three hours.
Your child may be dehydrated if they are not urinating (peeing) often enough or if they have dark- colored urine. A baby younger than 1 year should have 6 to 8 wet diapers in a 24-hour period. An older child usually urinates every 6 to 8 hours.
encourage girls to wipe their bottom from front to back – this helps to minimise the chances of bacteria entering the urethra. make sure your child is well hydrated and goes to the toilet regularly – not urinating regularly and "holding in" urine can make it easier for bacteria to infect the urinary tract.
Most toddlers urinate four to eight times each day, usually about every two hours or so. Most toddlers have one or two bowel movements each day, some have three, and others skip a day or two in between movements. In general, each child has a regular pattern.
Acute urinary retention can cause severe pain and be life threatening. If you are suddenly unable to urinate, it's important that you seek emergency medical treatment right away.
dizziness or light-headedness. nausea or headaches. dark yellow or brown urine (wee) – urine should be pale yellow. fewer wet nappies or nappies not as wet as usual; or older children will not go to the toilet as much.
For mild dehydration, have your child rest for 24 hours and keep drinking fluids, even if symptoms get better. Fluid replacement may take up to a day and a half. Continue on your child's regular diet as well. For severe dehydration, the child may need IV fluids in the hospital.
Drinking plenty of water is the most important way to improve your child's urinary and digestive systems. Drinking enough water helps flush bacteria from the urinary tract, which prevents infection and helps the digestive tract function regularly.