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Like Brother, Like Sister
Help for Families with Multiple Bedwetters
By Melissa Granberry
Bedwetting is always a challenge for both parent and child, and when Mom and Dad have more than one child wetting the bed, it can become even more difficult to manage. But with a little advice and the knowledge that it commonly runs in families, you'll be well on your way to better mornings.
Bedwetting is a common occurrence among children and young teens – an occurrence beyond their control. It is even more frequent if one or both parents wet the bed as children. "Studies show that if one parent was a bedwetter, then 40 percent of their children will also wet the bed," says Dr. Michael Ritchey, a pediatric urologist at Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas. "If both parents were bedwetters, then 60 to 70 percent of their children will experience the condition."
So if you or your spouse were once plagued with wet sheets, chances are at least one of your children will experience the same problem. And in some families, enuresis will come in multiple doses, affecting more than one child.
Glynda* has two out of three children who wet the bed. "Both my dad and brother were bedwetters when they were growing up," she says. Karla Giramonti, a nurse practitioner in the Division of Urology at the Albany Medical Center in New York, says she is not surprised that more than one of Glynda's children has enuresis. "I tell parents that if one child wets the bed, chances are the other children will experience the same problem," she says.
However, if you have some children who wet the bed and some who do not, it can be difficult for kids to understand. Hayes says she has trouble trying to explain to her children why two out of three wet the bed. "There tends to be a 'Why us, not him?' mentality," she says.