Wetting the Bed
Bed-wetting (or nocturnal enuresis) is an inability to control the flow of urine during the night. It is fairly common for kids to wet the bed, one or more times per night. At age 5, about 15 percent of children have enuresis. By the age of 15, one to two percent of adolescents still have it. If left untreated, some will wet the bed for life.
Research revealed that enuresis is often inherited. There is a 77 percent chance that a child might inherit it if both parents were bed-wetters. It is more prevalent with boys.
Contrary to belief, bed-wetting is not a mental or behavior problem. Neither does it come from emotional stress, poor self-esteem or emotional maturity. It is a common developmental phenomenon related to physical and physiologic factors.
There are two types of nocturnal enuresis: primary and secondary. Primary nocturnal enuresis is when a child has not yet developed complete night-time bladder control. Secondary nocturnal enuresis is when a child accidentally wets the bed after having had bladder control for six or more months.
Some factors linked to bed-wetting include:
¡P Bladder size - may be too little to hold the normal amount of urine.
¡P Infection - abnormalities due to diabetes or chronic urinary tract infection.
¡P Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) - hormone which suppresses the rate of urine production. Some bed-wetters make less ADH or have kidneys less responsive to ADH.
¡P Delayed growth and development - nervous system is not mature enough to have the ability to stop the bladder from emptying at night.
¡P Imbalance of the bladder muscle - the muscle that contracts to squeeze the urine out is stronger than the sphincter muscles that holds the urine in.
¡P Diet - foods containing high levels of artificial color and sweetener such as dairy products, citrus fruits, caffeinated cola drinks and chocolate have been associated with bed-wetting.
¡P Constipation or encopresis (uncontrolled passing of stools)
¡P Difficulties waking up from sleep
Not much can be done to prevent children from bed-wetting. Most children outgrow it without treatment. It is important to stress to the child that bed-wetting is natural and should not be viewed as humiliating or shameful. Explain to them that it is not the result of either bad thoughts or bad actions; that it is not a punishment.
Give your child the support he or she needs to overcome emotional instability or distress over bed-wetting, and soon, it will come to pass.