Treatment for Nighttime Enuresis in Children

The Children's Hospital of Boston describes nighttime enuresis as bedwetting that occurs at night when a child cannot control the bladder. For most children, bedwetting will stop on its own just as abruptly as it begins, but for some it will continue on into the teenage years. More than 90 percent of children will experience some form of bedwetting until the age of 4 and still about 10 percent of those children will continue to wet the bed until the age of 6. Treatment options for nighttime enuresis includes drug therapy, behavioral modification, diet change, and the use of a bedwetting alarm.

Drug Treatment for Nighttime Enuresis in Children

It must first be stated that no one treatment has been found to be 100% effective in treating enuresis in children and it sometimes will take a combination of multiple treatments to see effects. Drug treatment for enuresis or bedwetting in children includes the use of DDAVP or Tofranil. According to WebMD, DDAVP has been approved by the FDA for use as a treatment against nighttime enuresis in children and it works by imitating an antidiuretic in the body to reduce the amount of urine in the bladder. Although this drug will stop nighttime enuresis, it comes with side effects including headaches, runny or stuffy nose, and possible nose bleeds.

Behavioral Treatment for Nighttime Enuresis in Children

Behavior modification is often a very useful tool in the treatment of childhood enuresis. Some behavior modifications such as restricting fluids after a certain time (usually at least 2 hours) before bed will have great results in treating nighttime enuresis in children. It is recommended that children be limited to just 2 oz of fluid in the preceding two hours before bedtime to reduce the likelihood of a bedwetting accident occurring.

Diet Change Treatment for Nighttime Enuresis in Children

Diet restrictions or changes can also sometimes be of use in treating enuresis in children. Particularly, caffeine should not be offered to children who suffer from nighttime enuresis. Caffeine is a diuretic and can increase the risk of nighttime enuresis or bedwetting in children. Restrict or limit diuretics such as caffeine to mid day options rather than leading up close to bedtime for best results. Further studies show that some children actually suffer from bedwetting due to other foods such as food coloring or dyes. Paying close attention to the diet and the nights when bedwetting occurs can help you to rule out certain foods that may be causing the problem.

Using a Bedwetting Alarm as Treatment for Nighttime Enuresis in Children

A bedwetting or Enuretic Alarm is another method of treatment for enuresis in children and it tends to work very well over time. The alarm will sound if there is any sign of wetness in the bed throughout the night thus waking your child up to go to the bathroom. The alarm will wake up even the heaviest sleepers so there is no need to worry that maybe your child sleeps to heavily to wake up from the alarm. For most children who have suffered from nighttime enuresis, when used properly a bedwetting alarm has helped them to stop wetting the bed within about 3-4 months of use. Unfortunately, many parents give up prior to this time and think that the treatment simply hasn't worked when in all actuality there was not enough time given to the treatment to work!

Sources:

Children's Hospital of Boston, www.childrenshospital.org

American Academy of Pediatrics, www.aap.org

WebMD, www.webmd.com