Problems with bladder and bowel control are among the most common medical conditions that children and young people experience. They are thought to affect over 900,000 people aged between 5 and 19 years of age, although this is likely to be an underestimate. Due to embarrassment, stigma and the mistaken belief that they children will […]
This post has been written by June Rogers, Children’s Specialist Nurse at BBUK. Constipation in children is often unrecognised. Over time, this can result, in a large backlog of poo so that the child becomes ‘faecally impacted’. This is the medical term used to describe so much poo stuck in the bowel that it cannot be […]
This post has been written by Fiona Boorman, Children’s Specialist Nurse at BBUK. Recent reports in the press have suggested disposable nappies could be causing chemical burns to children’s bottoms. Product testing regulations in the UK are among the best in the world, so soreness due to a reaction to something in the nappy itself […]
This post has been written by Davina Richardson, Children’s Specialist Nurse at Bladder & Bowel UK. Bedwetting is a common childhood problem that can affect any child. Having a learning disability or Down Syndrome is not a reason for bedwetting. Children aged 5 years and older with a learning disability, such as Down Syndrome, who […]
Natasha from Disabled Living interviewed Amanda Morgan, mother of a young girl called Alyssa who lives with a stoma. Alyssa will be 4 years old this December. She has a condition called Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson (HH) syndrome. This was diagnosed when she was 18 months after falling very ill at 13 months old. We […]
This post has been written by Davina Richardson, Children’s Specialist Nurse at Bladder & Bowel UK. Prevalence of continence problems Continence problems are considered to be one of the most prevalent healthcare issues in children and young people. Functional constipation affects 0.7-29.6% of (Koppen et al 2014); faecal incontinence, which is often secondary to chronic […]
This post has been written by Davina Richardson, Children’s Specialist Nurse at BBUK about bedwetting in childhood. When a baby is first born their bladders are small. Therefore, they do not hold very much urine (wee) and do not fully empty with every wee. As babies are fed throughout the twenty four hours they produce […]
This post has been written by Davina Richardson, Children’s Specialist Nurse at BBUK. World Bedwetting Day with the theme ‘Time to Take Action’ is designed to raise awareness of bedwetting. What are the problems for older children and teenagers? Bedwetting or enuresis is one of the most common medical problems in the under 18s. Although […]
This post has been written by Davina Richardson, Children’s Specialist Nurse at BBUK. She talks about how you can encourage children to drink more water. Adequate fluid intake is important for maintaining health and well-being. Most school age children should have about one and a half litres of water per day with half of this during […]
This post has been written by Davina Richardson, Children’s Specialist Nurse at BBUK. It is often assumed that because children with Down Syndrome have delayed development, they will inevitably be delayed toilet training. Healthcare professionals often advise parents and carers to wait until the child seems ready. However, there is no evidence or even agreement […]