Parents Should NEVER Punish a Child for Bedwetting

Children's urological disorders are ten times more common than cleft lip and pallet disorders. Pediatric urological disorders are very different from adult
urological disorders as most of these problems are congenital in nature. The common signs of urological disorders are: urination problems (need to urinate frequently or suddenly, weak urine flow, difficulty starting or stopping, associated burning, pain or blood), pelvic or lower back pain, and/or sexual problems (reduced sexual ability, discomfort during intercourse or painful orgasm, impotence).

Overactive bladder is a common problem that can affect men, women and children of any age or race, although sufferers are predominately women and incidents of overactive bladder increase with age. Some children may have nervous systems that are not sufficiently developed to get the right signal between the bladder and the brain. However, it appears that some children who wet the bed have relatively small bladders that cannot hold much urine. If this is the
reason for a child's bed wetting, the bed wetting should reduce or go away as the bladder increases in size. Approximately 75 percent of children who have a
wetting problem have a parent and/or sibling who have or have had a similar problem. In addition, the approach parents take toward toilet training their children can cause bed wetting. For example, some parents may adopt an overly punitive strategy for toilet training children.

Bed wetting, referred to as enuresis by the medical community, is a common problem in children ages 5-12. Parents often become concerned around this age,
especially if they begin to notice other same-aged children or siblings who stopped wetting by age three. Parents and siblings often feel frustration, anger, and embarrassment over their attempts to help stop the child's bedwetting. Most physicians and psychologists agree that bedwetting can be classified as a "clinical problem" if the child is unable to keep the bed dry by age seven.

Even children with no history of bed wetting may lose bladder control from time to time. Bed wetting by itself does not mean that a child has diabetes. Children with diabetes commonly wet the bed when their blood sugar (glucose) levels become erratic. Fortunately, most children grow out of this problem. However, some children develop psychological and behavioral problems related to embarrassment, low self-esteem, and anger stemming from this condition.

In the past it was thought that some children may be such deep sleepers that they do not wake up when they have the urge to urinate. Recent research does
not seem to support this idea, because children who wet the bed seem to have similar sleep cycles to those who do not wet the bed. Sometimes bed wetting
can be a response to stress, such as an emotional conflict or anxiety that a child is experiencing. Psychologists and other mental health professionals regularly report that children begin wetting the bed during times of conflict at home or school. Dramatic changes in home and family life also appear to lead some children to wet the bed.

Punishment almost never works and may actually increase bed wetting as the child becomes more upset, nervous, ashamed, and/or resentful toward parents.
Your child's pediatrician should be able to refer you to someone to treat your child's bed wetting. Once you have consulted with a physician who can screen for physical problems that may be contributing to your child's bedwetting, a treatment choice can be made. Also, some experts fear that limiting fluids too much can be harmful to children's health, so it is important to talk to your doctor if you are considering this method. Let's try not to propagate that urological disorders are "dirtier", "more embarassing", or "different" from any other medical disorder.