Voiding Improvement

Continence— the ability to control bladder and bowel function and to use the toilet as needed — is a vital skill for any child. Continence plays an important role in a child's life, affecting his:

• self-esteem
• social interactions
• school life and performance
• home life
• family relationships

Many children, however, experience problems achieving full continence (during the day,overnight,or both). The reasons can vary widely, but often include:

• recurringurinary tract infections (UTIs)
• voiding dysfunctionand dysfunctional elimination syndrome
• incomplete or problematic toilet training

When a child experiences one of these issues, clinicians can help through an approach known asvoiding improvement.

How Boston Children's Hospital approaches voiding improvement

As part of our renownedDepartment of Urology, Boston Children's Hospital has a dedicatedVoiding Improvement Program (VIP). VIP's expert physicians and nurse practitioners take a comprehensive approach to helping children overcome voiding difficulties, offering the following services:

• customized treatment plans that take into account the needs and circumstances of the individual child and family
• comprehensive evaluations
• urodynamicsand other tests
• a bowel program for children experiencing constipation
• counseling to reduce anxiety about voiding
• biofeedback training, a non-invasive tool with excellent success rates
• Reikitherapy
• acupuncture