SELF-HELP PREVENTION: BED WETTING

What is it?

A condition in which a child wets the bed at night even though he or she is potty trained. It comes about because the child does not receive sufficient warning stimuli from the bladder to tell him or her that it is time to urinate.

Most children become dry at night when they are 2 or 3 years old but others, especially heavy sleepers, can take much longer. A half of all 2-year-olds are still wet at night; 20 per cent of 3-year-olds; 10 per cent of 5-year-olds and 5 per cent of 11-year-olds. All children become dry eventually unless there is an underlying medical problem.

What causes it?

• Immaturity-the child’s ‘bladder is full’ sensations are not yet well developed and they go

unrecognized.

• Deep sleep.

• Stress. This might be caused by upsets in the family-especially the arrival of a new baby,

parental rows, marital break-ups, moving house, etc. There may also be anxiety over, for

example, going to playgroup, or being left with someone else when both parents go out to

work. Any or all of these can make a previously dry child wet the bed.

• Certain congenital abnormalities of the urinary tract. See your doctor if you suspect this is the

case.

Prevention

• Keep both the child and his or her room warm. Dress him or her in nightclothes that fit well and are snug-all-in-ones are good.

• Lift the child out of bed when you go to bed and sit him or her on the lavatory or potty. Some children remain asleep through this but most wake and then go back to sleep at once. A few children obligingly walk to the lavatory when woken.

• Limit fluid intake during the late afternoon and early evening, but don’t restrict fluids totally. Be guided by common sense.

• Look for any of the above causes that could be prevented and work on them.

• Certain electrical gadgets that ring or make other noises to awaken the child as soon as he or she wets a sensitive pad in the bed are available but have not been widely used as either treatment or prevention, and their success rate has not been established.

• A particular anti-depressant drug has been used for some years but I do not favour its use for young children.

*110/72/5*

Share and Enjoy: