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Home › Articles › Bedwetting › Bringing Up Bedwetting

Bringing Up Bedwetting

Talking to Your Doctor About Enuresis

By Melissa Granberry

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When your child is running a high fever or displaying an unknown rash, you probably don't hesitate to ask your pediatrician for advice. But what if your child starts wetting the bed at night when she has been dry for some time? Or should you be concerned if your child has been potty trained for a year, but can't seem to make it through the night without having an accident? Do these situations warrant a call to the doctor?

When to Seek Help
Many parents may wonder when bedwetting warrants a discussion with their pediatrician. That time may be different for every family depending on their circumstances, but Dr. Michael Ritchey, a pediatric urologist in Houston, Texas, says he usually does not treat bedwetting (enuresis) until a child is 7 years old, so until then parents may want to try different strategies.

"Before consulting their doctor about enuresis, many parents try restricting fluids before bedtime or awakening the child several hours after they are asleep," says Dr. Ritchey. "We usually do not start treating children until the age of 7 since there is a high rate of spontaneous resolution at that age. However, if a child perceives bedwetting as a problem and asks their parents for help, then it should be brought up with their pediatrician."

Joan Dyer*, a mother of three, says her oldest son had been dry throughout the night for several months. "So when he had a few accidents, I wasn't too concerned," she says. "Now, four months and several soggy sheets later, the accidents have become a nightly event. "We have tried cutting back on drinks in the evenings and waking him up to use the bathroom, but the problem is not getting any better," she says. "We've decided to talk to his pediatrician about it at his 5-year exam."

Some children experience secondary enuresis, which means they start to lose control of their bladder at night after they have consistently been dry. According to the National Kidney Foundation, secondary enuresis can be caused by the same things that affect children who have always experienced bedwetting, such as producing too much urine at night or a family history of enuresis.

"If your child is experiencing 'simple' bedwetting, it is considered a relatively benign condition, and most children will outgrow it," says Dr. Barry Kogan, a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation's Pediatric Nephrology/Urology Committee. There are signs, though, that could suggest your child is experiencing more than normal bedwetting and may need medical attention. According to Dr. Kogan, these include:

  • Daytime wetting in addition to bedwetting;
  • Severe constipation;
  • Bowel accidents;
  • Urinary tract infections.
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