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Wetting the Bed

More Common Than You Might Think

By Laura Lyster-Mensh and Lyn Mettler

And it seems that parents across the world are dealing with bedwetting just as much as those in the United States. Studies around the globe show just how much we all have in common. In Turkey, for example, a study found that nearly 14 percent of children between the ages of 7 and 11 wet the bed, one of the highest documented rates. And studies in New Zealand, Belgium, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates have all found rates similar to the United States.

It's certainly comforting for parents to understand what's normal and what's not as well as the frequency of bedwetting in our society – and it can also be helpful to your child. So consider sharing some of this information with him in a fun way. GoodNites.com offers a site geared for kids that offers bedwetting facts and an online community to help kids communicate about their experiences. The National Kidney Foundation also has a great site with bedwetting information with a special section tailored just for kids.

Becky*, mom of an 11-year-old in Minnesota who wets the bed, says she has talked with her son about the fact that other kids wet the bed. "I have spoken with my son about children his age that have bedwetting problems, and it is comforting to him," she says.

So remember even if your child surpasses the mark at which nighttime continence normally develops, he is only one of many. In fact, according to the numbers, he'll likely grow out of it soon.