Parents can sleep soundly knowing that no matter which method of toilet training they use, it does not affect whether their child has a urinary accident, according to a study published in Clinical Pediatrics.

Joseph G Barone, MD, professor of surgery and pediatric urologist at UMDNH-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and surgeon-in-chief at The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, explained:

“Toilet training is an important milestone for children, the success of which often has been viewed according to the method of training used – a hotly debated topic in child development since the 1930s. Our study and prior research suggest that toilet training children early, between 24 and 32 month of age, is more important for reducing the risk of urinary concerns than the method parents choose for training”

The researchers said that there are two general methods of training:

  • parent-oriented – This aggressive technique was practiced more commonly prior to the 1960s. It involves training the child early on, with strong parental influence.
  • child-oriented – This passive method of toilet training involves waiting to train the child until he/she shows interest and readiness.

A 2011 study, published in CMAJ, said that starting to toilet train children at the age of 2 or 3 is associated with negative urinary outcomes.

The report states that either method is effective, depending on many different factors and alterations, and parents often use their own strategies to modify their technique to best fit their child, including the use of rewards or punishments.

During their study, the experts set out to find the differences between the training techniques by comparing two groups of kids between the ages of 4 and 12. The first group, a control group, did not have any urinary problems (accidents) after they were finished being toilet trained. The second group involved children who showed indications of urinating often or out-of-the-blue need to urinate (urge incontinence) or daytime accidents (voiding dysfunction). The researchers gathered this data through the children’s parents and medical records.

The experts found that the two groups did not have any notable differences in toilet training techniques, which meant there was no link between the children’s urinary traits and the method their parents used to toilet train them.

Dr. Barone concluded:

“Our study reveals that the debate about the preferred method of training was not based on scientific evidence, but rather expert opinion. The evidence present in our research should help ease parents’ concerns that if their child has urinary difficulties, it might be the result of incorrect training or the training method chosen. It isn’t.”

Written by Christine Kearney