TRAINING THE BOWELS AND BLADDER
Reference is made to this subject in another part of this book—where we went into the detail of keeping the daily record of these physiological occurrences—and it was found that the bowels moved and the bladder was emptied at about the same time each day. Any mother, caretaker, or nurse, who will take the time to keep a daily record of the hours of defecation and urination, will observe the time carefully and will catch the child on nearly every occasion before an accident occurs. Often as early as four months the bowels will move in an infant's chamber at regular times each day. The nurse or mother places this receptacle in her lap and holds the child gently and carefully upon it. A little later it can be made to sit on a special chair prepared for the purpose, and at eight or nine months by careful training the urination can be controlled, and by the end of the first year the diapers ought to be discontinued.
If the child has not learned to control the bladder by the age of two years, medical attention should be called to the fact and remedial measures instituted.