Urinary Incontinence in Children: The Surgeon's Perspective

摘要

Urinary incontinence in children, whether occurring during the day or night, is a very distressing condition not only for the child but also for their parents. Over a decade ago, children in many societies were still just expected to be able to achieve urinary continence as they grew older and by the time they started school. Little emphasis had been placed on the problem of persistent wetting and so many a times these children and their parents just kept the problem to themselves. However, increasing interest and research in this area has highlighted the possible social and psychological impact that the condition may have on the child and thus raising awareness among families and clinicians. Our increasing knowledge and understanding of the topic, including the spectrum of possible underlying voiding dysfunctions, has also led to profound changes in its management strategy, which now often involves a multidisciplinary approach and targeted therapy. This article discusses the local prevalence, problems and management of non-neurogenic urinary incontinence from a surgeon's perspective.