Most children who experience bedwetting have at least one parent or
first degree relative who also had a problem with bedwetting. Knowing
this often helps the child feel less stressed about the situation.
Roughly 20% of children still wet their beds at age 5, only 5% do so by
age 10, and 2% by age 15. An unfortunate 1 out of 100 childhood
bedwetters continues to have a problem into adulthood.
Some common causes of bedwetting are usually simply. For example, one
cause is due to a delay in the maturation of the part of the nervous
system that controls bladder function. Or bedwetting may sometimes be
due to either psychological problems or medical disorders, such as a
urinary tract infection, urinary tract abnormalities, or diabetes.
Do not worry about bedwetting in children before the age of 6, unless
they were previously well toilet trained and the bedwetting is now a new
symptom.
Do not punish a child who wets his or her bed. This problem is not
caused by laziness or rebelliousness. Shaming a child for wetting the
bed can lead to poor self-esteem and feelings of low self-worth.
Reassure, encourage, and express confidence in your child. You can also
have your child take an active part in cleaning up from the bedwetting.
For example, have them help with stripping the bed, putting the sheets
in the laundry. This’ll show your child that you are not angry, and that
it is something that can be dealt with in a calm manner.
Withholding bedtime drinks may be helpful in some children because it
decreases the volume of urine in the bladder. However, this does not
prevent the problem completely. Avoiding caffeine-containing drinks,
such as many types of soda, can also help decrease the amount of urine
in the bladder since caffeine increases urine production.
See your health care provider to consider the use of alarm systems. Some
alarm systems include Wet-stop and Enuretone. You may also speak to your
health care provider about drug alternatives such as DDAVP, a simple
nasal spray that can be delivered right before bedtime. DDAVP stops bed
wetting in 60-75% of children while taking the drug, but is not a
permanent cure. Once the medication is stopped, the bedwetting tends to
recur.
Call your health care provider if there have been repeated episodes of
bed wetting after the age of 6, especially if your child complains that
it hurts when he/she urinates, or if your child has been drinking
excessive amounts of fluids, or if your child has been exhibiting
strange behavioral changes (such as a normally outgoing child becoming
withdrawn or a child suddenly behaving in a sexually suggestive manner).
Dealing with your child’s bedwetting doesn’t have to be traumatic for
them, or for you. It’s something that can be dealt with delicately, and
with understanding. It doesn’t have to affect their maturation and
growth.
About the Author
E. Cordova is a health writer. He has created a website,
http://stop-bed-wetting, to help
parents deal with their children's bedwetting.
Trick or Treating - Keep
Your Kids Safe Halloween is a holiday loved by kids everywhere. It’s a fun time
to dress up like silly or scary characters and go trick-or-treating in the
neighborhood. Be sure your kids are safe while trick-or-treating with these
quick tips..
