Voluntary control of the bladder during the daytime is not achieved until about the age of two years, and at night may not occur until some years later. Incontinence is also seen following certain attacks of epilepsy. Incontinence may also result from an injury to the spinal cord that prevents impulses between the brain and the bladder. In young children, lack of bowel control may simply be resistance to toilet training. But in older children it may occur because of stress or a psychological disorder.
Fecal incontinence is common in the senile, as is constipation.
Failure to control the bowels may also be associated with neurological disorders, such as a stroke, multiple sclerosis, or the polyneuritis associated with diabetes mellitus. The condition may follow damage to the sphincter muscle that closes the anus following childbirth or an operation for anal fistula or fissure. Another factor can be cancer of the rectum or simply severe diarrhea. The treatment of any form of incontinence must be directed toward the cause. Special bags may be used for urinary incontinence, but fecal incontinence is more difficult to control.