Achieving urinary continence
Buzelin, J.M.; Bouchot, O.; Glemain, P.
La Revue du Praticien 41(23): 2279-2281
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0035-2640 PMID: 1792486 Document Number: 378770
Development of urinary continence, which is necessary for species survival and comfort of human being, begins with the organization of vesico-sphincteric automatism, as part of nervous system growth. Micturitional reflex are successively integrated inside the ganglionic plexuses in the foetus, the sacral spinal cord in the newborn and the pontine center in the child. Voluntary control of this automatism needs, at first, feeling an sensitive information about the bladder fullness, that is to say a "desire of urinate". Child first controls his striated sphincter, what makes him able to avoid urine leakage and enlarges his bladder capacity. Latter, he can initiate or refuse, voluntarily, bladder contraction, doing his bladder the most intelligent organ and, consequently, the most psychologically vulnerable one. Timing of these different steps is variable; in addition to the natural maturity processes which progress more or less quickly, training adds it effects, more useful for developing continence during daytime than during night-time.