Postnatal Development of Voiding Reflexes and Bladder Smooth Muscle Properties: An Overview of Recent Findings

An overview of recent findings in the postnatal development of lower urinary tract function is provided in the present paper. Neonatal animals depend on a perigenital stimulation‐activated spinal reflex for voiding before adult bladder control emerges. The presence of myogenic spontaneous contractions may also be essential for bladder maturation. As the bladder matures, both the perigenital reflex and spontaneous contractions are downregulated after the first few postnatal weeks. Recent studies indicate that perigenital reflex downregulation and the emergence of the adult voiding reflex are two separate but well‐coordinated processes. A critical period is present in the postnatal development of muscle contractility and neural control of the bladder. Increasing evidence indicates that myogenic spontaneous contractions of the neonatal bladders are regulated by muscarinic and purinergic mechanisms, which involve both the smooth muscle and the urothelium.