Despite 7.8% of 7.5 year olds and 2.9% of 14 year olds regularly experiencing daytime urinary incontinence and many others presenting to their healthcare professional with bladder symptoms, there has been no clear national guidance on management of functional daytime urinary symptoms in children and young people. This gap was more concerning because evidence-based NICE guidance on constipation and bedwetting in children has been available since 2010. Furthermore, there is evidence that not addressing issues in childhood leads to symptoms in adolescence and adulthood.
Guidance can be a powerful and beneficial tool for nurses. Not only does it provide knowledge and support for evidence-based decisions, demonstrating expected minimum standards of care and skill requirements; it has the potential to reduce variation in assessment and treatment nationally and reduce unnecessary referrals to secondary and tertiary care. Additionally, it promotes development of skills and confidence and can be a tool to support business cases and commissioning.
Nurse-led paediatric community bladder and bowel services remain significantly under-resourced in many areas; some have no service at all. Referrals are increasing. This may be related to the expanding UK population. However, increased prevalence of symptoms is also related to later introduction of the skills for toileting and to neurodevelopmental conditions: children and teenagers with intellectual disabilities or who are neurodivergent are disproportionately affected by daytime bladder symptoms.
Against this background a committee member of the RCN Bladder and Bowel Forum, asked a group of mainly paediatric bladder and bowel nurse specialists, what support the RCN could provide. The clear response was that they wanted a practical guidance on managing daytime urinary incontinence in children. That feedback became the starting point for a significant piece of work.
Being part of a project from the start can be equally daunting and exciting. This is particularly so when important and potentially impactful work has been requested. However, a small group of specialist nurses came together to decide the priorities and a bid submitted by the Bladder & Bowel Forum was subsequently accepted by the RCN.
It was agreed to include sections on prevalence, impact, risk factors and prevention of daytime urinary incontinence and a section relating to issues for children with disabilities. To ensure a comprehensive resource for education and practice, normal bladder function, assessment, associated conditions and investigations as well as treatment options, alongside appendices with summaries of lower urinary tract conditions, a frequency volume chart and full reference list are also included.
The RCN guidance: Daytime Urinary Incontinence in Children, was published in June 2026. This new evidence-based and peer reviewed resource was developed to support nurses deliver confident, evidence-based care to children and young people aged 18 years and under who experience daytime bladder symptoms.
Improved care equates with improved outcomes and quality of life for children and teenagers and reduced stress for their families. However, it is also cost-effective for the NHS, with fewer appointments and unnecessary onward referrals and it increases job-satisfaction for nurses as they make a demonstrable positive difference to their patients’ symptoms.
Guidance provides the framework, but high-quality care depends on nurses tailoring assessment and treatment to the individual needs of each child or teenager. Paediatric 汤头条污料 is an evidence-based profession. It requires integration of clinical judgement, technical and communication skills, to build therapeutic relationships to provide care, improve health outcomes and advocate for the needs of the children, teenagers, families and communities who need us.
This guidance is an important resource, and it has been a privilege to work with colleagues to develop it. However, it is just a resource. Its value lies in it is used to tailor care to ensure that every child and teenager with daytime bladder symptoms receives appropriate support from practitioners who are confident, knowledgeable and equipped to provide evidence-based care.
