Bedwetting - Nocturnal Enuresis

Similar Terms: Bed wetting, sleep wetting, Enuresis, Nocturnal Enuresis, Night time Incontinence, sleepwetting, involuntary urination.

Bedwetting is an uncontrolled, persistent urination that happens during sleep and it is a problem that many families face all night. Bedwetting is also called as nocturnal enuresis. Bedwetting means that a child by accidentally passes urine at night while sleeping. This is very normal in babies and in young children. Normally, Bedwetting is not measured as a medical problem. However, a child who is in basic school or who experienced completely dry day and night and suddenly began to bedwetting again during the night is considered as a medical problem. By the age of 5, normally children are constantly dry entire the night. After attaining the age of 5, the amount of children who still bed wetting reduces by around 15% per year, even though not taking any medical treatment. Only 1% children experience the bedwetting problem, on attaining the age of 15. Bedwetting is always stressful for many families.

To diagnose and make the treatment easier, doctors at times classify bedwetting problem in to two types, one is primary bedwetting (Primary Nocturnal Enuresis-PNE) and the other is secondary bedwetting (Secondary Nocturnal Enuresis - SNE). The child has never been dry during night in the primary nocturnal enuresis. However, in the secondary nocturnal enuresis the child has been dry at least for a period of three to six month and begun to bed wetting again. It is very significant to keep in mind that in both types, the child is not bedwetting on purpose.

Types of Bedwetting

Primary Nocturnal Enuresis - PNE

The most common type of the bedwetting is primary nocturnal enuresis. This type of bedwetting is affecting around 90% of the children who bedwetting problem. It is brought out by Pediatricians that it may be caused by numerous genetic, hormonal and developmental factors performing together.

Secondary Nocturnal Enuresis - SNE

As soon as a child begins to bed wetting again after being dry for several months or may be a year or more, then we can identify the cause. The most common cause of secondary nocturnal enuresis is stress, at the time a sudden radical change affects the child’s world. Roughly any good or bad change in the environment can be a cause for this type of bedwetting. Secondary bedwetting can also be related to sexual assault or to extreme harassment. Seldom, this type of bedwetting problem can be referred as a medical problem. Like diabetes or infection in urinary tract. In these cases generally there are other clear symptoms of medical sickness.

Read more: Bedwetting Classifications

Signs and Symptoms

Parents can see the wet bed sheets, pajamas in most children with the bedwetting problem. Rarely, in some cases caused by medical sickness like diabetes or infection in urinary tract and there may be possibility of other symptoms also. It is very important to take care about such symptoms in the child who has been dry in the past and bed wetting now.

Read More: Bedwetting Signs and Symptoms

Diagnosis, Tests and Assessments

The doctor will inquire about if there is any family history of bedwetting. During the childhood of one or both the parents affected with the problem of bed wetting, the doctor will like to know about the age of the parents when the problem of bed wetting stopped. In most cases, the bedwetting problem of child will stop more or less at the same age.

The doctor needs to know about the drinking and eating habits of the child, and importantly about the drinking exact before the bedtime. In the case of child has been dry in the past, the doctor needs to know about there is any stresses, strains which may be leading to bedwetting.

The doctor will ask about if there is any additional symptoms like infection in urinary tract or diabetes so as to rule out the cause of child’s bedwetting is medical illness.

The doctor will physically examine the child’s genital area, lower spine, abdomen; etc for any physical alters in these areas. A test of urine will be conducted to ensure there is any sign of diabetes or infection in urinary tract. Almost in all cases, your doctor can correctly diagnose based on the age of child, any additional symptoms, history of bedwetting and also based on the results of urine test and physical examination conducted. If there is any symptom of diabetes or infection in urinary tract, then there will be additional tests needed. It is not necessary to take X-Rays or other tests of the children diagnosed as primary nocturnal enuresis.

Read More: Bedwetting Tests and Diagnosis

Duration Expected

Approximately, all children will stop bed wetting by then they attain their mid-teens, even also not treated. By the age of 15, only one out of hundred children is not entirely dry at night.

Prevention and Control

To achieve your child’s first dry night, the following suggestions will help:

Don’t punish or blame your child about bedwetting and to encourage them for dry nights.
Ask your child to pass urine before going to bed even also they don’t feel.
Restrict to take drinks in the last 2 hours before going to sleep.
Rather than using diapers ask your child to use cloth under wears.
Try to wake up your child to take him/her to bathroom once in every night.

Even though, your child is toilet trained, infrequent accidents may occur. It is pertinent to keep your head cool always when change the bed sheets or under pants. Don’t show disappointment or displeasure to him.

Read More: Bedwetting Prevetion and Control

Bedwetting Treatments

If bedwetting is a cause of medical problem, then the treatment will depend on the exact diagnosis. If there is no exact cause of medical problem for bedwetting but has not at all dry at night, the there is quite a few treatment options.

Read More: Bedwetting Treatment Methods

Scenario

Because of about all children finally outgrow Bed wetting, the viewpoint is outstanding, even without any treatment. With the treatment, the rate of success depends on the kind of therapy. Motivational therapy does fine in around 25% children, average of 70% in behavioral therapy and 66% in bladder control training.