Bedwetting

Dear Lisa

My daughter is 8 years old and still struggling with bedwetting. Her Pediatrician recommended that I reduce the amount of fluids that she drinks in the evening and stop using the Pull-ups she was wearing at night. I followed these instructions and she still wets the bed every night. Is there anything else that I can do?

“Still Bedwetting in N.J.”

Dear “Still Bedwetting”

You are on the right track since you discussed this problem with your Pediatrician, eliminated fluid intake in the evening and stopped using Pull-ups. Nocturnal enuresis or “bedwetting” can be very frustrating, because it interferes with socialization, causes embarrassment and makes such a mess! Voiding disorders such as bedwetting occur in up to 6 % of children until the age of 7. (1) Some people take the “wait and see approach” which is okay in some circumstances because it is expected that “in about 15 % of cases, the condition resolves spontaneously.” (1) Since your daughter is 8 years old she should be mature enough and ready to use a bedwetting alarm. Bedwetting alarms are intended to alarm or make an irritating sound when the sensation of moisture is detected. It is connected to a child’s underwear or a pad placed underneath the child during sleep. The alarm is meant to disrupt the child’s sleep and cause a negative and unpleasant feeling when the child urinates.

The purpose of the bedwetting alarm is not to wake the child so that she can go to the bathroom, but to make her aware that she urinated and associate the bedwetting with a negative response. By doing this you train the brain to do what is “pleasant” which means hold the urine in until the morning. The process typically takes 6 weeks to achieve and commitment is necessary for success. You can purchase a bedwetting alarm from most pharmacies and submit the cost to your insurance company. If your daughter has daytime incontinence, incontinence of stool or continued symptoms at night despite a concentrated effort, I would contact your Doctor or Nurse Practitioner for further evaluation.

Good luck!

(1) Zacharyczuk, C. Psychosocial implications of nocturnal enuresis demand treatment. Infectious Diseases in Children; 2006, April: 72-73.

Lisa Kelly R.N., P.N.P.,C.
Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

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