Children diagnosed with cerebral palsy can exhibit a variety of symptoms and other complications. One such complication children may experience is urinary incontinence. If your child who has cerebral palsy has also been diagnosed with urinary incontinence, here are three types of incontinence treatments.

Absorbent Products

Some children with cerebral palsy have no control over their bladder. This is due to the muscles not being able to keep the bladder closed. Oftentimes, these children are not even aware of the need to go to the bathroom. This is largely due to the brain not being able to send the correct signals to this part of the body. These children will most likely need to wear some sort of absorbent product, such as adult diapers or briefs.

These types of products come in a variety of sizes and can be made specifically for girls or boys. They can usually be purchased through a provider who sells durable medical equipment. Just like babies need several diaper changes a day, children with cerebral palsy who suffer with urinary incontinence will also need to be changed several times in order to prevent skin rashes and discomfort.

Toilet Training

Despite the many challenges, some parents have found success in being able to toilet train their child with cerebral palsy. Some of the challenges to overcome include:

• The child has poor balance while sitting
• The child might also suffer from constipation, making bowel movements difficult while on the toilet
• The child's ability to achieve urinary continence

For children who have attained urinary continence, special seating systems and specialized toilet seats can be especially helpful when toilet training your child with cerebral palsy. Having a strict routine for going to the bathroom is also important.

Electrical Stimulation

For parents who don't want their child to remain in diapers for the rest of their life, or who have been unsuccessful with toilet training, another type of incontinence treatment involves electrical stimulation. With this type of incontinence treatment, the electrical stimulation causes the muscles around the bladder to contract, which can aid in strengthening them. The stimulation can also cause nerve cells to grow. These nerve cells can then send a signal that the bladder needs to be emptied. The risks involved with electrical stimulation include pain and infection.

When it comes to incontinence treatments for your child with cerebral palsy, it's best to check with a pediatrician or urologist to determine which type of treatment will be the most effective.