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For many parents, this is a source of frustration. For children, it can be a devastatingly humiliating experience – something far worse than some monsters hiding under their beds or in their closets. I’m talking about nocturnal enuresis or bedwetting. Some children continue to suffer from this condition when they should be enjoying sleepovers and slumber parties. But for the child who suffers from involuntary bedwetting, the thought of sleeping over someone’s house comes with a fear that his or her “secret” will be exposed.
The cause of nocturnal enuresis is not known exactly, but studies have shown that the number of children suffering from this condition is between 5 and 7 million. Nocturnal refers to the night, so nocturnal enuresis is bedwetting that occurs during the night. It is also classified as children who involuntarily wet the bed if they have done well through the years of potty training. Nocturnal enuresis is more common in boys than girls.
Conditions suggesting the presence of nocturnal enuresis
If your child wets the bed once, this does not necessarily indicate nocturnal enuresis. Here are some factors doctors consider when diagnosing nocturnal enuresis.
First, the doctor must determine whether nocturnal enuresis or involuntary bedwetting occurs frequently and repeatedly. If a child has seizures at least 2 times a week for at least 3 weeks, this indicates nocturnal enuresis.
Doctors also take the child’s medical history. When diagnosing nocturnal enuresis, the process is done based on “ruling out” other medical conditions to determine what the underlying cause might be. The medical history portion of the diagnosis provides answers to questions about medications the child may be taking, urinary tract infections, bladder and spinal cord abnormalities, diabetes, and certain disorders associated with seizures. Another factor the doctor will look at is whether there is a family history of nocturnal enuresis.
Nocturnal enuresis: causes
These questions help determine the existence of nocturnal enuresis. Although the cause is more of a mystery than a simple lab test, there are some clear signs that contribute to the cause of nocturnal enuresis. For example, childhood stresses such as death, divorce, or a major change can trigger nocturnal enuresis. Delayed or slowed growth and development can also cause nocturnal enuresis. If the bladder is too small, that also contributes. Some children are just heavy sleepers and don’t wake up. While some medications can cause a child to wet the bed, this does not constitute nocturnal enuresis. Once the course of prescribed medication is completed, the bedwetting problem will stop.
What can you do about nocturnal enuresis?
Over the centuries, the most important step parents took to prevent nocturnal enuresis was to punish the child. This has led to a major misunderstanding of what nocturnal enuresis is and has left society with the perception that it is ‘misbehaviour’ on the part of the child. Educating parents is absolutely necessary to managing this condition and is essential to the emotional well-being of the child. The child does not intentionally wet the bed to upset the parents, and parents need to be educated on positive and helpful steps they can take to encourage their children with gentle guidance and kindness.
If nocturnal enuresis is the result of a medical condition, treatment can be started according to the remedy appropriate for the condition.
For healthy sleepers, using a bedwetting alarm can be the solution. The alarm sounds and the child is essentially “trained” to wake up and use the toilet. Your doctor will instruct you on the correct use of the bedwetting alarm. If the condition is caused by slow growth, no specific treatment is usually needed, as the child grows the nocturnal enuresis should stop.
No matter what you think, the cause of nocturnal enuresis can be; You should take your child to the family doctor to get the right diagnosis and treatment.
Copyright © Jared Winston, 2006. All rights reserved.
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