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16 February 2006

You guys? Help me figure out the right search terms? I'm trying to look up info that may shed some light on my little nephew's strange urination problem, but it's difficult, because it's the opposite of what the typical problems for young children are. I'll explain inside... →[More:]

My nephew is three, and except for still wearing a diaper to bed at night, he is toilet trained. The problem is that he has become very "attached" to his potty, and is constantly going to the bathroom to pee.

Here's what I know (sorry for the long):

1) Usually when he goes, he might urinate just a drip or two (because he goes all the time), but if he's had a big glass of water or something, he urinates normally, so it doesn't seem that there is any kind of obstruction. He doesn't show any signs of pain, or complain of any pain. This behavior has been going on for two months. Nobody can think of any event that might have occurred two months ago that might have set this off.

2) He's been examined by a pediatrician, who finds nothing at all wrong with him, and we're now awaiting results of tests by a specialist. His parents also have an appointment to speak with a child psychologist.

3) He doesn't show any anxiety about the process; he acts completely normally about it, but has some anxiety about going elsewhere where there may not be a toilet.

4) He has the same behavior at home and at playschool where he goes for three hours most weekday mornings. He had already been going to playschool for quite a while when this started happening. We really don't suspect that the school has anything to do with it in any way.

5) Some sort of abuse situation is so unlikely as to be virtually impossible. Basically, both parents are home with him most of the time.

6) Both parents are really enlightened and laid back, and very attentive. They have a very, very solid relationship, and there is no anger/trouble in the household.

7) He's really outgoing, confident, smart, communicative... totally strong and healthy. Not at all fearful. (pix!)

__________________________

So, what terms can I google to possibly help me find info on this? Most stuff addresses bedwetting and incontinence in children.

post by: taz at: 05:42 | 13 comments

Hmm... Well. After all that, I think I've actually found it:

Pollakiuria: Mostly affects children between the age of 3-8 years, and causes frequent daytime urination, sometimes up to 10-30 times a day, usually with very small amounts of urine being produced at each time. Children with pollakiuria usually do not have other symptoms, and it is not known what causes it, although it may be linked to stress. No treatment is necessary and symptoms usually go away after about 3 months. It is also called Extraordinary Daytime Urinary Frequency Syndrome.

This is reassuring! (Isn't it?)

posted by taz 16 February | 06:00

He's a cutie!

I won't venture to suggest anything in particular but I guess the psych coming into the equation moves it out of the 'strictly physical disorder' arena.

If it was my nephew I suppose I would be thinking of a kind of over-attachment and I would tend to regard it as a phase rather than a disorder or a syndrome, if you follow.

In other words, I would tend not to worry too much or treat him any differently (unless things change to an obviously obsessional or overtly outrageous scenario) and wait and talk to the psychs.

Attachment to the potty might be stressful in the sense that it's not around when they go out etc. But seriously, all other things being equal, a 'wait and see' is probably the better call rather than 'looking for a diagnosis'. ie. it might just be a bit into leftfield of 'within normal limits' of behaviour if you follow.

[oh yeah...yes: reassuring, certainly]

You're becoming the town medical water cooler!

posted by peacay 16 February | 06:34

heh. That's true! And I really, really hate doctors, hospitals... all stuff like that, so it's actually kind of amusing.

posted by taz 16 February | 06:39

Yeah, 3 year-olds are just plain weird about the potty. Mine was potty trained for several months, and then suddenly he wasn't for a few weeks. Total head thing. I'm sure your nephew will grow out of it.

He has wonderful hair.

posted by danostuporstar 16 February | 09:19

It sounds like he really really enjoys peeing.

posted by iconomy 16 February | 11:02

What iconomy said. Kids go through phases; as long as the pediatrician checked him to make sure that he doesn't have a UTI, then I'd just laugh and let it go. He'll grow out of it by the time he starts college, they usually do.

IANA kid psychologist, just a mom, but here are two explanations.
1) Peeing is a socially acceptable way to hold your penis. Holding your penis feels good and is often a comfort mechanism. Eventually the going to the potty thing will become inconvenient, he'll find another way to comfort himself & that will be that.
2) Little kids, all little kids, are fascinated by different bathrooms. This is why I know the location of every single water fountain and bathroom in several major museums and the Baltimore zoo. It's a control thing - they're so impressed with themselves for being toilet trained, they're so impressed with everyone else around for being toilet trained, that they like to go to every possible bathroom in the world.

posted by mygothlaundry 16 February | 13:10

Kinda like those women who were orgasmic when they sneezed whilst on some med or another. If sneezing could make you come, don't you think you'd sneeze more often?

Speaking as a guy, I can say that when I'm appropriately impaired, a good pee can sometimes feel... well, good down there.

I can easily imagine that there may be people wired such that they get that feeling all the time.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 16 February | 13:10

Right on MGL - my 4 year old still has to go to the potty in every public place we visit. Even if she'd just gone minutes before. It's usually the first thing she says upon entering. I long ago gave up the "but you just went" logic and just let her go.

posted by mike9322 16 February | 13:14

Here's another thought: if he's uncut, he should be taught to pull the foreskin back, right?

My guess is that he'll soon discover that the manual manipulation is much more satisfying than peeing, and the problem will go away on its own accord.

Of course, his parents will then have an entirely new problem on their hands. Or, rather, in his hands. In his hands in the livingroom, in his hands at preschool, in his hands in the shopping mall...

posted by Five Fresh Fish 16 February | 13:14

Yep, my kid likes to check out toilets wherever we go. I explained to him about germs (and why we wash our hands) recently and he's now obsessed with which toilets are "clean" and "germy". Kids pick odd things to dwell on.

I think too that at age 3 (which is my boy's age), they want more control over their environment. He could be manifesting that need for control over his peeing -- if he never needs to go because he's always just been, he has it under control.

All the three-year-old boys I know like to hold themselves, usually outside their pants, but I know a few who make the most of opportunities to whip it out and show it off. :)

posted by tracicle 16 February | 14:20

Heh, tracicle, he looks like a mischievous imp. (And I mean that in a good way.)

posted by danostuporstar 16 February | 15:29

Of course, his parents will then have an entirely new problem on their hands. Or, rather, in his hands. In his hands in the livingroom, in his hands at preschool, in his hands in the shopping mall...
Yeah and I can tell you from experience that you don't want that. I mean, I am all for self-love, but my boy just won't leave it alone and is constantly playing with and stretching his penis if he is not occupied with something.

taz, I think he is just a boy. They do that kind of stuff. If we could get away with it, we'd never stop.

posted by dg 17 February | 02:29

Heh. Yah... Nobody's freaking now. But you want to feel fairly secure that there's not some odd, hard-to-diagnose health problem, or some unvoiced trauma in the child's life. Really, the internet is a wonderful thing. Me is happy.

posted by taz 17 February | 02:35

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