Does your child wet the bed frequently?

Enuresis overview

Enuresis is more commonly known as bed-wetting. It refers to involuntary passage of urine. Nocturnal enuresis, or bed-wetting at night, is the most common type; daytime wetting is called diurnal enuresis. Enuresis is also called as urinary incontinence. Mostly children experience nocturnal enuresis. Parents must realize that enuresis is involuntary. The child who wets the bed needs parental support and reassurance

Causes

No one knows for sure what causes bed-wetting; many factors may be involved in the development of enuresis. In general bedwetting probably indicates immaturity of the nervous system. A bedwetting child does not recognize the sensation of the full bladder during sleep and thus does not awaken during sleep to urinate into the toilet.

Bedwetting may be a sign of an underlying disease or emotional problem, the majority of children with enuresis have no underlying disease. These include the following:

  • A hormone imbalance
  • A small bladder
  • Emotional problems such as a stressful home life, major changes, such as starting school, moving to a new home, are other stresses that can also cause bedwetting
  • Urinary tract infection can make it difficult for your child to control urination. Symptoms may include frequent urination, red or pink urine, and pain during urination (dysuria).
  • Chronic constipation, when constipation is long term, muscles can become dysfunctional and contribute to bed-wetting.
  • Sleep patterns: sleep apnea (excessively loud snoring and/or choking while asleep) can be associated with enuresis.
  • Diabetes: child with diabetes have more prone to enuresis along with other symptoms of diabetes such as frequent urination, increased thirst, fatigue etc.
  • A structural problem in the urinary tract or nervous system (rarely).

Risk Factors

  • Bedwetting is more common in boys than girls.
  • Enuresis also appears to run in families, which suggests that a tendency for the disorder may be inherited.
  • Bed-wetting is more commonly seen in children who have Attention-deficit disorder (ADHD).