Bladder capacity of a child what is that really? A question you do not ask every day, but the moment you experience a challenge with bedwetting these questions start to become more natural. As a parent you always try to ensure that your child is developing well. Unfortunately, in some areas you have little control and you just have to let it happen. The development of the bladder is a prima example of this.
The bladder is a hollow muscle that temporarily stores urine from the kidneys. It is a spherical organ that has also been compared to the shape of a pear. The muscles around the bladder relax as more urine builds up until it reaches its full capacity.
The normal bladder capacity of a child up to 10 years of age can be estimated by calculating the age in years x 30 + 30. In this is between 350 and 500 milliliters. At this level, the bladder sends a signal to your brain, so you know it’s time to pee.
Baby’s bladder capacity: reflexes & development
The development of the bladder capacity basically starts at birth. In a newborn baby, the bladder functions completely independently. When the bladder is at a certain capacity, the pelvic floor muscles relax and the muscle in the wall of the bladder contracts.
The baby pees until the bladder is completely empty. Because a baby has no control from the brain over the function of its bladder, it pees without taking the time or place into account.
The bladder capacity of 1- and 2-year olds: awareness
Between the first and the second year, the child becomes aware that the capacity in the bladder keeps increasing until it reaches a certain capacity. In the next step, the child learns step by step (or pee by pee) to better deal with the signals. Due to the development of the bladder, it is gradually becoming easier to keep the pee on the hold until a moment and place that is more convenient.
The bladder capacity of a 3-year-old: control & timing
Only when the child has full control over the tightening and loosening of the sphincter, you can expect control over the bladder. This generally occurs between the second and third year of life and is also an important development of the bladder. It also helps that around this age the capacity of the bladder increases significantly making it easier to hold the urine for a while.
The fact that a child has control over the sphincter of the bladder does not guarantee that you will not have any more accidents! Just as adults, the need to urinate becomes stronger and stronger as the bladder fills up. At some point the bladder is at its limit and the involuntary reflexes take over! During this period, the child will achieve more and more success by stopping the urine, which is also an important development of the bladder.
Around the age of three, 75% of the children are potty trained during the day.
Bladder capacity starting at 4 years old: interrupting of peeing
From this age there is a voluntary control over whether to pee. It is also possible to interrupt the stream while urinating. At first glance this does not seem exciting, but it is the last phase before the basic elements of the system are reasonably completed.
A large part of the children will be interested in sleeping without a diaper on. From a psychological point of view, this is an important phase for the child because sleeping without a diaper is a huge step towards adulthood.
If you feel that your child is ready, it is good to give them that responsibility so that a dry night feels like a personal victory! So now we are not only talking about a development of the bladder but also a development of the child itself.
Around age four 98% is dry during the daytime and 75% is potty trained at night.