Bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis is a common condition in newborns and young children where there is an accidental passage of urine during sleep.
At 6 years of age, about 15 % of the children still wet the bed. Expert advice should usually be sought only if the child is more than 6 years old as many children gain control spontaneously and treatment is usually not indicated before the age of 6.
Causes of Bed wetting.
1. Heavy sleeper: A child who does not wake to any sound and sleeps deeply.
2. Small bladder capacity: In this case, the child has a small bladder that makes it unable to hold urine at nights while sleeping.
3. Overactive bladder: A very small percentage of children may have this.
4. Genetic: If one of the parents had a similar illness, 50 % of the children will have it. If both the parents have a similar history, 75 % of the children will have it.
Other causes of bedwetting at night time are:
5. Fluid intake at night.
6. Small bladder.
7. Constipation.
8. The bladder is irritated by the bowels.
9. Inability to know if the bladder is filled.
10. Urinary tract infection.
11. Stress and anxiety.
12. Hyperactivity in children.
How To Help Your Child:
1. Do not give your child any fluid at least two hours before bed.
2. Make it a habit to empty the bladder the last thing before putting your child to bed.
3. Do not mock your child for wetting the bed or allow others to do so.
4. Make sure to discuss this issue with your child’s pediatrician so that they can rule out physical causes like constipation, urinary tract infection or diabetes.
5. Rewarding them with a treat or outing for staying dry on seven or ten consecutive days may motivate some children.