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Bedwetting, or enuresis, is common problem for children and a worrisome concern for many parents. Most children outgrow enuresis by the age of 6 but a small percentage of children continue to have the problem beyond that age. By the age of 15, only about 2% of children will continue to have this problem.
Enuresis can be an inherited trait and it can have several causes, including sleeping very deeply, increased urine production during the night or a small bladder that has not completely developed. Occasionally enuresis may be caused by other problems, such as diabetes, so if you may want to discuss your child’s condition with your pediatrician to rule out other possible causes. If your child is over 6 and continues to wet the bed or has started to wet the bed after being dry for quite some time, a conference with your family doctor is a good idea.
There are many treatments for bedwetting, some of them will bring success to some children and do no good at all for others. There are alarms which can be placed in your child’s underwear that will sound when the cloth becomes wet, thus waking the child and sending him to the bathroom before his bladder has emptied. These alarms seem to work with some children, though they seem to be more of a training device for parents who wake up to take their child to the bathroom while the child continues sleeping peacefully right through the alarm. Having your child empty his bladder before bed can sometimes work as well as limiting his fluids in the evening before bed. If none of the usual prescribed remedies have worked for you, there could be some other underlying problem, or you child’s body is just not mature enough yet.
Enuresis will usually resolve itself as the child gets older, but in rare instances it can be caused by serious underlying medical conditions. Don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion if the condition is causing discomfort for your child and you are skeptical about the advice of your doctor. Advice from well meaning friends and relatives can often discourage parents from seeking a medical opinion. Above all, be sure to make your child understand that enuresis is nothing to be ashamed of and is a common problem for many children and never punish your child for wetting the bed: it is totally beyond their control.
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