by Janette Waldron

Created on: November 09, 2010   Last Updated: November 10, 2010

A myriad of studies have provided insight into just how common bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) is among children around the world. To put bedwetting into perspective, parents must realize that urinary control is a development phase which is deemed a maturational process. This is the biological maturity of an individual according to their genes. Every single one of us humans are born bed wetters. As we grow and develop, so does our ability to gain control over our bladders. From birth onwards the bladder enlarges. When a child reaches approximately two years of age, they begin to sense that their bladder is full. From the age of 3 onwards most children learn the meaning of voiding. How to relieve themselves voluntarily or attempt to inhibit this.

By the time most children reach the age of five, they have a basic adult pattern of control over urinating. By this particular stage in life, the bladder’s maturity is usually complete. Unfortunately, approximately 20% of children’s bladders won’t be mature and this will lead to bed wetting episodes. But even when this happens, the chances of bed wetting usually decreases without any medical intervention. Bed wetting is more prevalent that many parents realize. Research shows that the spontaneous remission rate for bedwetting is approximately 15% per year. In laymen’s terms this basically means that only 15% of children who wet the bed will be dry in the next year without any medical intervention. Millions of children wet the bed so you are not alone.

Statistics also state that there are approximately 5-7 million children who wet the bed in the world. Approximately 95% of these children will be dry at night by the time they reach the age of ten. If your child is a bed wetter. They will not readily tell their friends, so they may feel relatively alone. It is imperative to know that enuresis runs in families. This means if you urinate in your sleep, chances are high that your child will do the same. Now the main thing to remember when you find your child’s bed wet is not to act angry towards them. No one wets the bed intentionally. This is not done to annoy you or anyone else. It does not mean that your child is naughty, lazy, dirty or a slob.

They can’t help it . As soon as parents/carers realize this the better understanding they will have. Most children do not notice their bladder is full and sleep right through the bedwetting. Other times children feel the bladder working but only

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