Urinary incontinence

Abstract The management of childhood urinary incontinence is a common problem facing medical practitioners dealing with this age group. Recent advances in describing and classifying the various elements of incontinence, as well as newer pharmaceutical and other treatments, have expanded both our understanding of the clinical features and the treatment options available. This chapter describes the current terminology and classification used for childhood incontinence, outlines the acquisition of basic bladder control, and highlights the main features of clinical assessment and treatment options. The majority of children may be adequately treated into adulthood without the need for surgical intervention. Early treatment can avoid many years of incontinence with its adverse social and psychological consequences, in the hope that the child will ‘grow out of it’.