Should I be worried that my 4-year-old son wets his bed?
Every night across America, five to seven million children turn off the lights, go to sleep and wet their beds. The medical term for bedwetting is enuresis: the involuntary voiding of urine beyond the age of anticipated control.
Most children with enuresis have nocturnal or nighttime enuresis. They wet while asleep, usually seven nights a week. This is so common in children younger than age 6 that it doesn't warrant special treatment. Enuresis affects up to 40% of 3-year-olds, 20% of 5- to 6-year-olds and 1% of adolescents and adults.
"We don't know the exact reason why some children wet the bed; there may be many causes," explains pediatric urologist
Michael Packer, MD. "Some children are deep sleepers and don't wake up when their bladders are full. Others produce large volumes of urine, and some have smaller bladder capacities."
Parents should discuss bedwetting with their child's doctor. A history, physical exam and urinalysis screening are important first steps. "There are different treatment approaches that can be tried, both medical and behavioral," notes Dr. Packer.
To learn more on this topic, go to
http://www.virtua.org/kidshealth.