Pediatricians UZ Gent: “Taking care of toddlers is counterproductive and can harm the health of child”

« Many children are not completely clean at the age of 2.5, » the pediatricians write in a press release in the run -up to the international day of bedwetting on Saturday. « That is completely normal. The control of the bladder and intestines depends on the development of the brain and the body of a child. »

According to Lien Dossche, children’s kidney doctor at UZ Gent, a child must « learn to feel » that the bladder or intestine is full and learn to understand and actively master impulses. « This requires not only motivation and understanding, but also sufficient physical development. The child must be ready. Instead of just focusing on the school start, parents better look at signals from the child. Only when your child is ready, do it really and often faster than you think. »

The pediatricians emphasize that every child develops « to his or her own rhythm ». « Half of the Flemish parents start the pot training with great tension because the first day of school approaches, » said Dossche. « Many children will be ready at that time, but a school start is not allowed to intend to develop your child. »

Starting too late with jar training is also not a good idea. « Some children are really ready for the age of 2, » says Dossche.

How can you know that your child is ready? If the following signals issues:

• The child is physically able to sit on a game and stand up again.
• The child understands the terms (or gestures) for peeing and making bowel movements.
• The child can indicate that it has made or bowel movements or finds the diaper dirty.
• The child is interested in the jar and wants to try it.
• The child can have a dry diaper for a few hours during the day.
• The child can keep attention to a task for a few minutes.
• The child has a developmental age of at least 18 months.

« Don’t force »

If your child is not ready yet, it is important not to want to force. « That can harm the health of the child, » it says. « The child can misuse the bladder and pelvic floor muscles and develop problems in the long term. This can lead to bladder or urinary tract infections. Studies also show that a too early start can lead to custody for bowel movements and chronic constipation. »