my 7 year old daughter?

Question

my 7 year old daughter is still wetting herself i have tried everything and she has been to the doctors on several occasions and they just give antibiotics she doesnt do this at night time just at school i have been to the school and talked and they say there is no problem. i try not to make a big deal out of it but dont want her to get bullied at school any suggestion but please only sensible ones.

Answer 1

Just a note - not a medical opinion, just the opinion of someone with experience with children, and an interest in health!

I would go back to your doctor and ask to be refered to a continence advisor who will be able to help you work out if the problem is emotional. You can also ask your doctor if he thinks it would be nessercary to carry out a scan to check that everything is alright. Incontinence in children can be caused by infection, which ould explain the anitbiotics. Did he ever do a urine or blood test to check for infection? If not, you should go back and ask for one.

A continence advisor can teach your child exercises to control the bladder. Over time your child will be able to hold more urine and recognise when they feel the urge to go.

As your daughter doesn't have any problem at home, it does sound like there is something at school that is upsetting her. Have you talked to her about it? Often, child will open up to us if we talk to them through playing. Maybe play dollies with your daughter, and see if she will open up to you? Often, they are very shy or embarrased, and talking 'through' a doll or a teddy is easier for them.

Another thing to consider is that she may just be being lazy. Do you make her wear a nappy at school? If you do, or if she asks for one, she may just 'go' in the nappy so she doesn't have to leave what she is doing to go to the toilet. if you think this might be the case, then you have to encourage her to go to the toilet. You could ask her teacher to remind her to go at lunch and break times, and give her a sticker when she does.

Does she have this problem when she stays at relatives houses? Or when you are not about? If this happens at other places, it might be because she is worried about you - she may feel abadoned. Talking to her can help, or you could ask your doctor to refer you to a consellor to help your daughter talk to you about this.

Has your daughter always had this problem at school, or is it a new thing? If its recently started, it could be that she is upset about something. Has anything changed at home - a new baby, a break up or a house move? If something has changed, you will need to be very reasurring and loving, to make sure that she feels better. Have you spoken to her teacher, as well as any classroom assistants and the head teacher? Children will often open up to other members of staff at the school, so it might be worth asking around, to check that there isn't anything that might be upsetting her there.

Well done on not making a big deal out of this - you don't want your daughter to feel that she has been naughty. Encouragement and sticker charts often work well, you could give her a sticker if she has a dry day at school, and then after 5 stickers she can have a treat.

Hope this has helped.

Answer 2

I would suggest you ask your GP or health visitor to refer your daughter to the local eneuretic clinic. This is a specialist clinic usually dealing with kids over 5-6 yrs age who are still wet during either day or night time. They will take a full history from you and may carry out some tests too. Try not to show her that you are upset, make light of it as much as possible when it happens and just clean her up and don't mention it again. Good luck with it.

Answer 3

if they have given her antibiotics on several occasions then she must have tested positive for infections. She should have by now been refered tto a urologist at the hospital. Go back to Dr and insist she is referred asap as this is not normal in a 7 yr old. In mean time give her cranberry juice to drink, dont use bubblebath and wipe from front to back as these all reduce infection.Urologist is only one who will have the answer

Answer 4

This doesn't sound like a medical pproblem. Most wetting is at night for young children.

There has to be a reason at her school if this is the only place it happens.

Basic things to question are:

Is she too afraid of her teacher to ask to leave the room?
Does she even know that its ok to ask to leave the room?
Is she worried about other children?

I am sure that the problem is with the school, not your daughter.

I truly hope that for her sake you can find a solution.

If you have time contact me and let me know how it worked out.

All the best to you and your daughter.....

Answer 5

When I was that I age, I pooped. It was because the public school I went most of the stalls had no doors and I was emabarassed to ask the teacher if I could go and I was embarrased to go while there were other people there. So I was told to ask the teacher no matter what and to go during class, so there weren't too many people in the bathroom. And I did. It may be embarrassment or a urological problem.

Answer 6

Maybe this has something to do with confidence, maybe she could join a theatre club, has she seen a councillor about this maybe she just forgets when she is busy, all you can do is reassure her that there are plenty of other people with the same problem.
another reason could be she is already being bullied and is scared which is making her problem worse.
Sit her down and talk to her about her day etc each day after school eventually if something is bothering her she will open up, Good luck

Answer 7

Time to stop focusing on it so much. It has become 1. a point of attention (not that it's intentional) and 2. psychologically ingrained in your daughter's mind that this is a characteristic of hers. No more doctors, no more making a big deal out of it. I guarantee that if it is not a medical problem (as your doctors suggest) then it will go away without attention. It's psychological now, so you have to fight it psychologically.

(I would see a continence specialist as suggested above first to definitely rule out a medical problem.)

Answer 8

I agree with a lot of what people have already said, but it would be a good idea to make a diary of events, to see if their is a pattern to it. For example, if it happens on the day of PE, or if it happens in a certain class with a certain teacher etc. That way it could be something you can sort out yourself, or if not, you will have something to show the doctor.

Hope this helps too.

All the best, it can't be very nice for your daughter.

Answer 9

If this is a physical problem then why is this only happening at school? Is she telling her teacher when she has to go? Is the teacher making her wait too long after telling her? Is there something psychological going on thats stressing her out only at school to give her a nervous bladder? Find out.

Answer 10

It could be just stress, or maybe she has not managed to control herself yet, it the teachers say it is not a problem let it go for a while maybe she will get better as time passes, she is not the first little girl to have a problem, my oldest was 10 before she could control herself ,

Answer 11

if she is experiences big changes at home it may be the problem... moving house, divorce, regular heated arguements.
i only mention this as i saw a program about a kid who started having a tough time at school and wet his pants when his parents split.

also, is she still wearing nappies? take them off if she is. perhaps starting at a weekend. and if the kids laugh at her at school she'll soon change.... unfortunately sometimes being teased is the only way for someone to learn. being bullied is something different... and i am not suggesting that you let that happen.
either way, you may need to get the school's support.