Urinary incontinence in children may be due to a congenital condition, abnormalities in urinary development, or emotional factors. Diagnosis and treatment is thus different from that for adults.

From the time they were born, infants urinate frequently up to 20 times a day with no set schedule as they do not yet have bladder control. As they grow older, their bladders get bigger and can then hold more urine while their brain matures and they learn to hold urine and not to just urinate any time. In the beginning, they will be able to control their bladder during the day. Later, they will be able to control it both day and night. Generally, children will start to have full bladder control at three years old. Involuntary urine flow in children is usually due to a congenital defect such as an abnormal opening of the ureter or a dysfunctional bladder sphincter.

In treating pediatric patients, with history-taking, the doctors finds out about the duration and the patterns of incontinence, if the problem has been ongoing or it has stopped and then relapses occur. The doctor also finds out about the family history and performs physical examination, psychological evaluation. Additional testing is carried out to detect abnormalities of the anus, bladder, urethra, and the nervous system. An ultrasound exam looks at the structure of the kidneys, the ureters, and the bladder while a radiology testing looks at bladder function.
 
For daytime incontinence, bladder dysfunction needs to be considered, whether it contracts involuntariyl or if the child is so preoccupied with something that he forgets to urinate. An example is a child with a mental health disorder or one who concentrates on his own interests so that he forgets to urinate.
 
 Bed-wetting in children is a highly common issue. This may be due to a natural cause. On the other hand, another cause is high volume of urine produced during the night after a large amount of fluid intake including water, milk, and fruit juice before bed. Bed-wetting may also be due to the inadequate production of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH), contributing to large amount of urine and, in turn, incontinence. A very deep sleep is another factor. Thus, it's recommended that children be awakened to urinate at appropriate times. Yet, another probable cause is the bladder dysfunction, where it contracts involuntarily, sooner than normal, and the child thus cannot hold urine. For prevention, when realizing that there are some unusual urination patterns, parents should take their children to see a doctor to prepare themselves and plan treatment so they can be completely cured.