BEDWETTING IN CHILDREN AND HOW TO MANAGE IT

Bed-wetting is also referred to as nighttime incontinence or nocturnal enuresis.

 It is an involuntary urination while asleep after the age at which staying dry at night can be reasonably expected.

Bed-wetting before age seven should not be a serious concern to parents because, at this age, your child may still be developing nighttime bladder control. 

By age five, most kids are fully toilet trained, but the truth is that, there is no target date for developing complete bladder control.

 After seven years of age, a small number of children still wet the bed. Bed-wetting can affect anyone, but it's twice as common in boys as in girls.

Most children outgrow bed-wetting on their own while some need a little help. In other cases, bed-wetting may be a sign of an underlying condition that needs medical attention. 

When your child still wets the bed after age  seven, starts to wet the bed after a few months of being dry at night, when bed-wetting is accompanied by painful urination, unusual thirst, pink or red urine, hard stools, or snoring, just know that you need to consult doctor.

It has been scientifically proven that, some of the factors that cause bedwetting include the following; 

(1) Small bladder: Your child's bladder may not be developed enough to hold urine produced during the night. 

(2) Inability to recognize a full bladder: If the nerves that control the bladder are slow to mature, a full bladder may not wake your child especially if your child is a deep sleeper. 

(3) A hormone imbalance: During childhood, some kids don't produce enough anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) to slow nighttime urine production. 

(4) Urinary tract infection: This infection can make it difficult for your child to control urination. Signs and symptoms may include bed-wetting, daytime accidents, frequent urination, red or pink urine, and pain during urination. 

(5) Sleep apnea: Sometimes bed-wetting is a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. It is a condition in which the child's breathing is interrupted during sleep, often due to inflamed or enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Other signs and symptoms may include snoring and daytime drowsiness.

 (6) Diabetes: For a child who is usually dry at night, bed-wetting may be the first sign of diabetes. Other signs and symptoms may include passing large amounts of urine at once, increased thirst, fatigue and weight loss in spite of a good appetite.

 (7) Chronic constipation: The same muscles are used to control urine and stool elimination. When constipation is long term, these muscles can become dysfunctional and contribute to bed-wetting at night.

 (8)  Structural problem in the urinary tract or nervous system: Rarely, bed-wetting is related to a defect in the child's neurological system or urinary system. 

(9) Stress and anxiety: Stressful events such as becoming a big brother or sister, starting a new school, or sleeping away from home, may trigger bed-wetting.

(10) Family history: If one or both of the parents wet the bed as children, their child has a significant chance of wetting the bed, too.

Although very frustrating, bed-wetting without a physical cause does not  pose any health risks however, bed-wetting have some effects on your child such as, guilt and embarrassment.

 

These effects can lead to low self-esteem, loss of opportunities for social activities, such as sleepovers and camp, rashes on the child's bottom and genital area especially, if your child sleeps in wet underwear.

There are many ways to manage bedwetting, some work better than others. Some of the ways to reduce bedwetting in children  involves simple lifestyle  changes like:

1) Reducing the amount of fluids your child drinks 1-2 hours before bed. 

2) Creating a schedule for bathroom use (changing toilet habits).

3) Wetting alarm devices.

4) Drugs/medication (where neccessary).