Products are available to buy from most supermarkets, chemist
shops, disability shops as well as online. They are available from the
Bladder & Bowel UK shop. Some online suppliers will provide a
limited number of free samples.
Continence products are absorbent pads or underwear designed to
contain urine (wee) and/or faeces (poo) in people who are not able to
get to the toilet either some or all of the time. There are many different
sizes, shapes and makes of product available. Some are disposable
(designed to be used once then thrown away), others are washable
(designed to be cleaned, dried and reused).
This information is about disposable products. Products to contain
incontinence are usually called continence containment products,
nappies, pads, or products. In this leaflet they will be referred to as
products.
They have additional needs, AND
They have had a specialist assessment of their bladder and bowel
health, AND
They have undergone a toilet training programme, supported by a
healthcare professional with specialist knowledge for at least six
months, AND
They have been assessed as unable to toilet train within six months
of their assessment and toilet training programme
Products may be available from the NHS to children from their fifth
birthday, depending on local policies if
A guide to disposable
products to contain
incontinence in children
1
Where can I buy products?
Are products available free of charge?
Products are not available to children with treatable conditions, even if
the child has a disability or additional need. Most bladder and bowel
issues are treatable, including in children with additional needs.Many
children with learning disabilities can be toilet trained at the same age
as their typically developing peers, although this may take longer and
they may need more support. There is information about toilet training
on the Bladder & Bowel UK website at
https://www.bbuk.org.uk/children-young-people/resources-for-
children/
2
A guide to using continence products
(pads) for children
Bedwetting, daytime wetting, constipation and soiling are all treatable
conditions. Therefore, products are not provided for these, but children
should be offered treatment.
Children who are not able to be continent due differences to their
bladder and bowel anatomy, as a result of a problem they were born
with, or that has developed due to illness or an accident, may be
provided with products without undergoing a toilet training
programme, depending on local policies and procedures.
How do I find out if my child should be given products by the NHS?
If you think your child may be entitled to have products provided for
them, speak to their health visitor or school nurse. They will know who
should do the assessment for children’s bladder and bowel health in
your area. All children should have an assessment before products are
provided, to make sure that children do as well as they can with toilet
training and that their bladder and bowel is healthy.
What type of product will be provided?
Your child should be provided with a product that meets their assessed
needs. In some cases they will be offered a different product for
overnight to the one they are given during the day. For the smallest
children the product provided will often be a nappy. As they grow they
may continue to be offered a similar style of product.
For many children, once they outgrow a nappy-style product, they will
be offered a two-piece product. These consist of an absorbent pad,
that is very similar to the main part of the nappy, with a pair of pants
(known as fixation pants) to keep it in place. These are as effective as
the one-piece product for many children and young people, but are
more discrete under clothing and easier to change in those children
and young people who are mobile.
Pull ups or disposable pant style products are not usually provided. This
is because they are not helpful for toilet training and are often not as
absorbent as other one-piece and two-piece products.
3
What will happen if products are provided?
This will vary slightly according to where you live and local policy.
What is provided will depend on what the assessment of your child has
shown. However, once the decision is made by the healthcare
professional that your child does need products, they should provide
you with samples. The samples will be of a product or products that are
available locally and that should meet your child’s need for
containment of their incontinence.
When you have tried the samples on your child, you will need to contact
the healthcare professional to let them know whether the product
worked well. If it did, the healthcare professional will order a supply of
products and let you know how and when to get more.
The healthcare professional should show you how to store and apply
the product and when to change it. There is also information on how to
use products in the Bladder & Bowel UK leaflet 'How to get the best out
of your continence products'. Most manufacturers also provide product
fitting guides online.
You will be told how many products per day are going to be supplied
for your child. The maximum number per day is usually four. Products
are usually delivered to home and you will be sent several weeks supply
at once.
Your child should have a reassessment of their bladder and bowel
health and their product needs at least once a year, although this will
vary slightly depending on local policy.
I keep running out of products - can I get more?
Your child should be given sufficient products to meet their assessed
needs. Products do not need to be changed as soon as your child has
passed urine, as they are designed to keep the top layer next to your
child’s skin dry. They should be left on until they are full or nearly full.
For more information on when to change the product see the Bladder &
Bowel UK leaflet 'How to get the best out of your continence products'. If
other people look after your child some of the time, make sure they
understand when the product should be changed.
A guide to using continence products
(pads) for children
4
If you are running out of products regularly, speak to your child’s
healthcare professional. They may be able to reassess your child’s
needs or provide a product that needs changing less often.
If you need to purchase extra products for your child, your healthcare
professional will be able to tell you where to get these. Products are
available to purchase online from most of the companies that supply
the NHS. They are also available from disability shops including the
Bladder & Bowel UK shop. Supermarkets and chemist shops also sell
some products.
My child has grown, or the product no longer works well for them
If your child grows or the products start to leak regularly, then contact
their healthcare professional. You should try to do this about six to
eight weeks before their next delivery is due. This allows time for an
assessment to be done, samples of a different product to be tried and
a decision made about which product will be best for your child now.
In most areas, once a delivery has been made the product cannot be
changed before the next delivery.
What should I do with products that my child no longer needs?
Products are provided by the NHS on a named person basis. They
should be used for that person only and not be given to or sold to
anyone else. Most areas will arrange a collection of any unused
products that are no longer needed.
Contact your child’s healthcare professional to find out what the local
arrangements are.
A guide to using continence products
(pads) for children
5
For further advice on bladder and bowel problems speak to your GP or
other healthcare professional.
There is also information about bedwetting at www.stopbedwetting.org
Find more information about child bladder and bowel health in our
information library at www.bbuk.org.uk. You can also contact the
B l a d d e r & B o w e l U K confidential helpline (0161 214 4591).
Further information
A guide to using continence products
(pads) for children
