by ROSEMARIE GLANVILLE

Created on: May 26, 2008   Last Updated: May 28, 2008

Enuresis or bed-wetting is common. It affects many adults, teenagers and children. Enuresis is when someone over the age of five, wets the bed at least three nights a week.

Children:

If your child suffers from this condition it is important to realize that he or she cannot help it. It is not to attract attention, out of spite, or because you child is too lazy to get out of bed.

Punishing does not help and may even make it worse. It is always wise to think of it as a temporary problem, and keep telling yourself that most children grow out of it.

Although it can be annoying having several sheets to wash, you need to be patient. It is important to make sure you don't make your child feel guilty about something he or she has no control over. Your child may already feel that this is dirty or babyish, and so needs your support.

Explain nocturnal enuresis (bed-wetting) about to your child. There is a fact sheet available from most kidney foundation websites, for example www.kidney.org/patients/bw/index.cfm, but here is a brief overview:

The right amount of urine has to be made by the kidneys.

The bladder holds the urine made by the kidneys.

The brain has to tell the bladder when it is full.

The brain then has to either tell the bladder not to empty until morning, or wake the child up to use the toilet.

Explain to your child that to be in charge of his or her urine, all these parts have to work together.

You then have to be able to deal practically with sleep enuresis:

Buy waterproof mattress covers.

Make going to the toilet easy, provide a potty, let your child sleep on the bottom bunk and leave a light on.

Weigh up the pros and cons or using disposable padded absorbent pads for example. These are available from pharmacies and supermarkets.

Persuade your child to drink at least six drinks during the day, as this trains the bladder to hold more, and they will not be so thirsty in the evening. Cola drinks contain caffeine and make the bladder harder to control.

Take your child to the toilet just before you go to bed.

Don't be afraid to discuss this problem with your health practitioner, as in an average class of ten year olds, at least two will have this complaint. He will check your child's urine for infection, and suggest enuresis treatment, or an enuresis alarm.

Bed-wetting alarms buzz or ring, waking up the child, as he or she begins to wet the bed. These are an effective enuresis treatment, as they help form the habit or waking up to pass urine.

There are two types of alarms available,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>