title: Bladder and bowel management for the child with spinal cord dysfunction.
abstract: Bladder and bowel management can be a challenge to adults and children with spinal cord dysfunction. Children are especially challenging due to their everchanging growth and developmental considerations. Bladder/bowel incontinence can bring about teasing from a child's peers and lead to social isolation. The achievement of continence is a major developmental landmark in the formation of social autonomy in children. Providing education and implementation of bladder/bowel management programs is essential for a child with neurogenic bladder/bowel. This article provides a general overview of common bladder and bowel management options for children with spinal cord dysfunction. Both traditional and innovative management options for the bladder and bowel will be described. Age-appropriate expectations and factors to assess child readiness as well as patient and family educational strategies to promote independence when implementing bladder and bowel programs are described.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Department, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA. lmerenda@shrinenet.org
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Merenda
authors.forename: Jean Park
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D001750:Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*