South Tyneside and Sunderland's Children's Bladder and Bowel team are here to support Children's 0-19 years of age with any issues relating to their continence. 
 

Team 

Shunara Quinn - Lead Paediatric Continence Nurse Specialist

Andrea Harris - Paediatric Continence Nurse Specialist

Where we are based:

Main office: Clarendon, Windmill Way, Hebburn NE31 1AT
Tel: 0191 2834754 

All paediatric health professionals from both the acute and community are welcome to attend Children's Bladder and Bowel training. It is only recommended you attend one of the training sessions, however, the Link Nurse Meetings are quarterly to provide clinical supervision to professionals, who will then return to their teams and share good practice and updates. 

All these sessions are face to face at Clarendon. Please book via ESR, if you do not have access to ESR please contact the Bladder and Bowel team on 0191 283 4754 or email stsft.bladderandbowelteam@nhs.net to reserve your place.

Training dates 2022

Important Documents: 

Useful links:

Constipation and soiling

Constipation is: 

  • Large, infrequent stools that can block the toilet 
  • ‘Rabbit droppings’ (type 1, Bristol Stool Chart) or Hard/ large stool 
  • Overflow soiling - (watery stools that leak into the underwear)
  • Painful bowel movements  
  • Distress on stooling 
  • Straining 
  • Waxing and waning of abdominal pain with passage of stool 
  • Fewer than three complete stools per week (type 3 or 4 Bristol Stool Chart however this does not apply to exclusively breastfed babies after 6 weeks of age) 

Constipation in Children and Young People: 

  • Bleeding associated with hard stools (anal fissure) 
  • Poor appetite that improves with passage of large stools 
  • Anal pain  
  • Dribbling Urine 
  • Tummy ache 
  • Avoiding the toilet 
  • Feeling that a bowel movement isn't finished 
  • Sore bottom 
  • Unpleasant smell
  • Child may stand on tiptoes and rock back on their heels 
  • Clench buttocks muscles together 
  • Unusual dancelike movements 
  • Leakage of watery smelly poo 
  • Not having an urge to poo 
     
  • Strict 30 mins toileting after mealtimes, activities in the bathroom to be available if child needs occupying.  
  • Sitting for 10-15 mins only with stool under your child's feet. 
  • No more than 15 mins on the toilet
  • Boys should sit when urinating
  • Use rewards and incentives that are free for time being spent on the toilet not for a wee or a poo.  

Table 

Drinks that can irritate the bladder and cause day and night time wetting are; caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee, energy drinks, hot chocolate, chocolate milk shakes, green tea, fizzy drinks, blackcurrant and citrus fruit drinks.  Alternatives are, water, flavoured waters or well-diluted squash and decaffeinated drinks.

Bowel

  • For a healthy Bowel, regular intake of fluid and a well-balanced diet including fruit, vegetables and fibre is recommended.
  • Our bowels naturally start moving 20-30 minutes after a meal. Therefore we recommend sitting on the toilet 10-15 minutes after meals with a stool under your child's feet.  
  • To keep the bowel healthy and functioning, 60 minutes of exercise daily is recommended. 

 

 

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