How do children learn to take control of their bladder function?
Bladder function and reflexes develop gradually. In the first year or two, this helps the bladder function in a reflex kind of way: as the bladder fills to a certain point, it will automatically contract and empty. At a certain age, a child will develop the ability to control the bladder by controlling the sphincter muscle, just outside the bladder around the urethra. Contraction will hold urine in the bladder while relaxation lets the bladder out. It’s a gradual process from an unconscious function of the bladder to a volitional act as the sensation of bladder fullness arises, beginning around age 2 for some children and a little older in others. Can problems in this development be a result of congenital anomalies or trauma? Yes. Spina bifida, for example, damages the nerves running from the spinal cord to the bladder or sphincter muscle. This impacts the bladder, which then functions abnormally: it may not hold as much urine as it should, it may not contract the way it should in orde
