Bedwetting Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Bedwetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis or nighttime incontinence, is a condition that results in involuntary urination while being asleep after reaching the age at which it is expected to remain dry at night.

This condition is common for many children. But, it is not a sign of wrong toilet training. It is just a part of a child's development. Bedwetting up until the age of 7 is considered to be normal as your child is still developing nighttime bladder control. However, if this continues, you need to treat the issue with understanding and patience. In this article, we will be discussing the symptoms, causes, and treatment of this condition so that you can help your child better.

Symptoms
Most kids get fully toilet trained by the age of 5. However, there is no specific age at which your child will develop bladder control. Some children go through a phase of bedwetting between the age of 5 and 7. Even after 7 years, some children continue to wet the bed. In some cases, it is a sign of an underlying condition for which your child needs immediate medication attention. You should visit Bedwetting clinics at Rainbow Children’s Hospital and consult a doctor if:

Your child is wetting the bed after the age of 7 years.
Bedwetting is accompanied by unusual thirst, painful urination, snoring, hard stools, and pink or red urine.
Your child starts bedwetting after being dry at night for a few months.

Causes
The exact cause of bedwetting is unknown. However, certain factors play a role:

Small bladder - The bladder might not be developed enough for holding the urine produced.

Inability to recognize when the bladder is full - If the nerves controlling the bladder are maturely slowly, your child might not have an idea of a full bladder at

night, especially if they are a deep sleeper.
Hormonal imbalance - Some kids don’t produce the required amount of Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) for slowing down the production of nighttime urine.
Urinary Tract Infection - A UTI can make controlling urination difficult for your child. Some symptoms of this include daytime accidents, frequent urination,

pain during urination, red or pink urine, and bedwetting.
Sleep Apnea - In some cases, bedwetting is a symptom of sleep apnea, a condition where the child’s breathing gets interrupted during sleep because of

enlarged or inflamed tonsils or adenoids. Other signs include daytime drowsiness and snoring.
Diabetes - If your child is usually dry at night, bedwetting might be the first sign of diabetes. Other symptoms include increased thirst, weight loss despite

proper appetite, fatigue, and passing a lot of urine at once.
Chronic constipation - Stool and urine elimination is controlled by the same muscles. If your child has long-term constipation, the muscles can become

dysfunctional and lead to bedwetting at night.
A structural problem in the nervous system and urinary tract - In rare cases, bedwetting is associated with a urinary or neurological system defect in

your child.

Treatment
Most children stop bedwetting all on their own. However, if you think that they might need treatment, you can visit bedwetting doctors for children and consult a doctor to figure out the best treatment plan for them.

If your child is not embarrassed or bothered by occasional bedwetting, lifestyle changes liking fluid intake, and avoiding caffeine in the evening might work. However, if this doesn’t work, they might need additional treatments. Also, if bedwetting is caused by underlying causes like sleep apnea or constipation, these conditions should be treated first. Here are a few treatment options for bedwetting children:

1. Moisture alarms
These are battery-operated devices connected to a moisture-sensitive pad applied to your child’s bedding or pajamas. If the pad senses any wetness, the alarm will start to go off. If you decide to try this, you have to give this a lot of time. It takes about one to three months to see a response and about 16 weeks to get dry nights. This is an effective treatment that has a low risk of side effects or relapse. It might be a better solution than medications.

2. Medications
If nothing else works, your child’s doctor might prescribe certain medications:
Slow nighttime urine production - The doctor might prescribe a drug that decreases the production of urine at night. However, if your child drinks a lot of liquid with the medication, it can cause more problems. Also, if your child has symptoms like nausea, fever, and diarrhea, such medications should be avoided.
Calming the bladder - If your child is wetting the bed because of a small bladder they might need an anticholinergic drug that increases bladder capacity and reduces bladder contractions.

It is important to note that bedwetting can be an embarrassing condition for your child. You have to be patient and help them overcome this problem. Effective treatments will take some time, during which you should reassure them so that they can look forward to dry nights.

Bedwetting in children should be treated in the right time. Consult experts at Rainbow Children’s Hospital for the best treatment for your child.