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Urinary Tract Infections and Bedwetting
Help for Parents of Children With Special Needs
By Gwen Morrison
Children with special needs often have issues with both day and nighttime wetting. This may lead to an increased risk for urinary tract infections (UTIs), and in turn, UTIs may also increase the incidence of incontinence.
"Any child with urinary continence issues is at risk for developing urinary tract infections," says Dr. Gregory E. Dean, associate professor of urology and pediatrics at Temple University.
Lucas was born with spina bifida. "I've suffered with urinary tract infections my entire life," he says. "When I get the infections, I get more incontinent. I believe it has something to do with the effect that the infection has on bladder muscle spasm strength and sphincter strength."
The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste products from the bloodstream, producing urine on a continuous basis. The ureters are the tubes that carry the urine to the bladder where it is stored and then exits through the urethra.
Any abnormalities of the urinary tract, which are often found in children with spina bifida, for example, complicate the process of urination, often leading to infection.
"In children with spina bifida, the nerves that control the bladder are not connected to the brain [to varying degrees, but often there is no connection at all]," says Dr. Andy Spooner, director of the department of pediatrics in the division of general pediatrics for UT Medical Group, Inc. in Memphis, Tenn. "What that means is that most children with spina bifida cannot control when they urinate, and they routinely use catheters to get the urine out. Because of these catheters, which can introduce bacteria into the bladder, and because of urinary stasis, urinary tract infections are extremely common."
Want to see more?
- Bedwetting and Your Special Needs Child: Finding the Right Approach
- Dry Days Ahead Helping Special Needs Children Learn to Use the Toilet
- Bedwetting and Special Needs Kids
- Absorbent Undergarments and Special Needs Children
- Words That Heal: Incontinence Solutions for Special Needs Kids
- Bedwetting and Summer Camp: Does Your Special Needs Child Have to Miss Out on All the Fun?
- Under Special Circumstances: Sleep Disorders and Bedwetting in Special Needs Children
