Puberty can be a challenging time for adolescents due to the physical and hormonal changes that take place in the body.

While you might already know that puberty can cause symptoms such as acne, mood swings and hair growth, it can also affect parts of the body that you may not have anticipated - such as the bladder. This can result in things like more frequent urination, including bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) and other forms of urinary incontinence.

So, how exactly does puberty affect incontinence and urination? Keep reading to find out!

Puberty is a stage of growth and development where an individual’s organs and bodily systems mature. It comes with emotional, psychological and physical changes - including the beginning of menstruation for girls. These changes are driven by fluctuations in hormones, most notably the “sex hormones” - testosterone and oestrogen.

It’s a gradual process that usually starts between the ages of 8-13 in girls and 9-14 in boys [1], and takes an average of 5 years to complete. Some symptoms of puberty include:

• Growth of breasts in girls and testicles/penis in boys

• Growth of pubic and other body hair

• Acne

• Growth spurts

As you probably know, this is a time in an adolescent's life that brings a lot of different changes to many parts of the body, and the bladder is no exception.

The hormonal fluctuations during puberty can influence the function and development of the urinary system, while the growth and development of the body may bring along changes to bladder size and capacity.

If your adolescent child seems to be urinating more often, it’s entirely possible that puberty could be the reason.

Some reasons for this include:

• Growth in bladder size and capacity

• Increased fluid intake and/or changes in diet

• Fluctuations in hormones

Generally speaking, more frequent urination (also called polyuria) is not a serious concern of puberty and will resolve itself in time. For some teens, though, more frequent urination during puberty could be indicative of something more serious, such as a urinary tract infection (UTI) or diabetes.

It’s important to take your child to the doctor for assessment if they’re experiencing frequent urination if you are in any way concerned about it, or if they experience an increased need to go paired with any other signs of illness, pain while urinating, pelvic pain or blood in the urine.

So, puberty sees the development and maturation of the urinary system, and while some teens may experience some symptoms like frequent urination or nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting), it will usually resolve with time.

But if your child has an abnormal bladder or bladder dysfunction [2] prior to puberty, it’s unlikely that they’ll grow out of it [3].

There is also evidence that suggests the age at which a girl experiences their first period is linked to the development of urinary incontinence. A study from 2018 found that an older age at first period was associated with urinary urgency and urinary incontinence [4].

While puberty can bring along some awkward or uncomfortable side effects for children and teens, it’s all part of the process in growing up and symptoms will resolve with time as the body matures.

In the meantime, if your teen is experiencing any urinary incontinence or leakage whether during the day or night, our Magics Youth Pants are here to provide you with a reliable solution. Designed to fit children up to the age of 15, our youth pants are more size-inclusive than supermarket alternatives - as well as being thinner, comfier and more absorbent!

Dermatologically tested and free of latex, chemicals, fragrances and dyes, they’re sensitive-skin friendly, and their flash dry top sheet rapidly draws liquid away from the surface so your child’s skin stays dry to the touch.