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A Visit to the Urologist for Bedwetting
What to Expect During Your Urologist Checkup
By Cara J. Stevens
When bedwetting continues beyond the age of 5 or so, many families choose to take their child to the doctor to rule out physical problems. The first step usually involves a visit to the pediatrician, who, based on the findings, may refer your child to a urologist.
For many children, who are leery of doctors as it is, this can be an intimidating step; however, it is important to ensure your child's health. And by learning what to expect at this visit, both you and your child will be more comfortable and likely to get more from the appointment.
The doctor and nurse may start by asking you and your child a lot of questions about everything from your pregnancy to how your child slept the night before. This process is called taking an oral history. "Probably 90 percent of the first visit is talking," says Anne Arnhym, a pediatric nurse at the University of California, San Francisco Children's Medical Center.
During the oral history, it's important to let your child answer as much as possible. "We don't want to hear it all from the parent," Arnhym says. "We want to get a feeling for how the child feels about his bedwetting..."
After the oral history, there will be a brief physical exam. For primary bedwetting – where accidents mostly happen in bed and at night – the examination is straightforward. "The doctor will conduct a physical to make sure there are no underlying problems and will do a urinalysis to make sure there are no problems with infections or diabetes," says Dr. Christopher Cooper, a pediatric urologist at the University of Iowa Hospital.
