As children return to school, the pediatric clinic has increased the number of children with frequent urination. Many parents tell the doctor that their children urinate frequently, but each time there is not much urine, there are no other symptoms, and the child is not uncomfortable. Is this normal?

To understand this problem, we need to understand what frequent urination is.

In general, newborns urinate about 20 times / day, children at 3 years old about 10 times, school-age children 6-7 times / day. If the frequency of urination increases significantly, beyond the above range, it is frequent urination, which can be caused by physiological factors such as excessive water intake and mental anxiety, and can also be caused by pathological factors such as endocrine system diseases, urinary tract infections, cystitis, urinary tract stones, etc.

Child-specific daytime urinary frequency is a common abnormal urination disease in children, also known as pseudourinary tract infection and psychiatric urinary frequency. Children present with frequent urination during the day, and their frequency often puts a serious psychological burden on parents. It is more common in children older than 3 years and is characterized by daytime wakefulness or significant frequent urination before bedtime, and the above symptoms disappear after falling asleep. Urinalysis and urologic ultrasound are normal.

A number of factors can precipitate child-specific daytime urinary frequency:

(1) Do not wear diapers for children during infancy and toddlers, and frequently urinate or urge urination in order to prevent wet pants.

(2) In an unfamiliar environment and increased study pressure, tension will aggravate the occurrence of frequent urination.

(3) Being reprimanded by parents and teachers after wetting their pants.

(4) Worry about being laughed at by classmates after wetting your pants.

(5) Teachers are not allowed to take leave to go to the toilet during class.

(6) Family changes, such as the death of relatives, the divorce of parents, etc.

Treatment: Most symptoms of psychogenic urinary frequency can be relieved by themselves as children grow and develop, so parents do not need to be overly nervous. If it significantly affects your child's daily learning and life, you can take the following measures:

Reduce the anxiety of the child, do not scold or make fun of the child.

For those with mental factors, give mental and emotional support to avoid anxiety and tension.

Practice urination to learn to hold urine control when they have the urge to urinate and delay urination.

Parents pay more attention to their children and divert attention when they urinate frequently. Give encouragement and affirmation when there is improvement in urinary frequency.

If there is no relief after taking the above actions, oral drugs need to be given under the guidance of a professional doctor.

It is necessary to remind parents and friends that they must observe carefully, if the child has frequent urination, accompanied by dysuria, fever, abnormal urine color, etc., it is necessary to seek medical attention in time to exclude urinary tract infections, urinary tract stones and other diseases.

Text/Sha Yuying Wu Jun

(Peking University Shougang Hospital) (Source: Beijing Youth Daily)