Children's Continence Program

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Incontinence—the inability to control one’s bladder and bowels—can be emotionally challenging for children and their families, impacting home, school and extra-curricular activities. The Children’s Continence Program helps children develop or improve their continence. Our caring, experienced staff works with families to provide comprehensive care to meet the emotional and healthcare needs of children dealing with incontinence.

Children who come to the Children’s Continence Program at Riley at IU Health may have:

  • Behavioral issues stemming from conditions such as autism, ADHD, oppositional defiance disorder or Down syndrome
  • Genetic conditions
  • Neurologic conditions such as spina bifida or cerebral palsy
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Voiding dysfunctions

Riley at IU Health provides latest technology and advanced treatment options for children with incontinence. We are the only hospital in Indiana to offer flouro-urodynamics, a test that measures how the bladder stores and empties pee.

We also provide neuromuscular re-education or biofeedback, a noninvasive option that uses video games to help children with pelvic floor dysfunction and other voiding issues learn how to use the muscles that control the bladder.

Developing a Unique Treatment Plan

Most children come to our program through a referral from a pediatrician or healthcare provider who provides a medical and treatment history for persistent incontinence.

At the first visit, staff talks with you and your child to review this history. If additional information is needed to make a diagnosis, an appointment is made for testing. Once we review your child’s history and tests are complete, we create an initial treatment plan for your child. This might include any of the following:

  • Adequate fluid intake
  • Biofeedback
  • Constipation management
  • Education regarding healthy bowel and bladder function
  • Dietary recommendations
  • Good hygiene
  • Medications
  • Proper toilet posture
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Timed schedule for toileting

Incontinence can be an ongoing challenge, so our staff provides follow-up care for your child to assess the effectiveness of treatment and suggest additional testing and treatment options if needed.

Conditions Treated

Our pediatric specialists provide patient- and family-centered care for most related conditions. The links below provide more specific information about some, but not all, of the conditions that we treat.

Services Offered

We offer a number of different Children's Continence Program services. Below are some, but not all, of the services that we provide. If you have a question about a specific service that is not listed here, please contact our program.

Locations

Locations

In addition to our primary hospital location at the Academic Health Center in Indianapolis, IN, we have convenient locations to better serve our communities throughout the state.

Related Departments

We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related departments.

For Health Professionals

Refer A Patient

Refer A Patient

Riley at IU Health works with referring physicians in Indiana and beyond.

Refer A Patient

Research

Urology at Riley at IU Health conducts outcome-based research and on-going evaluation of treatment options for incontinence. The staff has published numerous articles in , and other research publications. Through our partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine, members of our team participate in pediatric urology research to improve care for children.

Education

The Children’s Continence Program has an active fellowship program that provides advanced training in pediatric urology. Medical students and healthcare professionals can receive specialized training through our program.