Question

A 6-year-old child has been experiencing frequent urge to urinate and frequent urination for four years. After drinking water, they always feel the need to urinate, with intervals of about 3-4 times every half hour. The urge to urinate is accompanied by incontinence, a condition that has been present since childhood, possibly related to excessive consumption of sugary drinks in their early years. Previous treatments and their effectiveness have not been systematically addressed. Concerned assistance is seeking whether such a condition is normal.

Answer

  1. Urethral and Seasonal Factors: If there is frequent urination but little urine each time, without pain during urination or other symptoms, it is first important to consider regional factors such as urethral inflammation, phimosis, or pinworm irritation in the genital area. Additionally, increased urination in winter is a normal phenomenon.
  2. Diet-Induced Polyuria: If frequent urination is accompanied by large amounts of urine each time and there are no other symptoms, it is first important to consider whether there has been excessive water intake, especially for children who enjoy drinking sugary drinks.
  3. Neurogenic Frequent Urination: In young children, underdeveloped bladder detrusor muscles and incomplete nervous systems can lead to daytime drip-like polyuria, which can reach 20-30 times, but nighttime urination is normal with a tendency for recurrent episodes. Urinalysis is normal, and this condition is not caused by inflammation.
  4. Urological Inflammation: If there is frequent urination, urgency, dysuria, or accompanied by fever, it should be considered that there may be a urinary system infection such as cystitis or pyelonephritis. Urinalysis may reveal bacteria or a large number of white blood cells, with severe cases accompanied by systemic infection and toxic symptoms. Suggested Actions