World Bedwetting Day - Time to take action in bedwetting

Bedwetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, is an uncontrollable leakage of urine while asleep beyond the age of five years4 Bedwetting is a common childhood condition, with approximately 5-10% of 7 year-olds regularly wetting their beds and the problem may persist into teenage and adulthood8 In most cases Bedwetting is caused by over-production of urine at night or reduced capacity of the bladder. An inability to wake up can be another cause.^1-3 Bedwetting does not have a psychological cause.^1-3

Bedwetting is a common medical condition that has a serious impact on a child's self-esteem, emotional well-being and day time functioning, including school and social performance.^1-3, ^6,7 Bedwetting is nobody's fault, and families and doctors should be able to discuss the condition without embarrassment or guilt. However, the impact is often underestimated and trivialised, so help is not sought or offered.⁷ By raising awareness of bedwetting as a common condition that can and should be treated ⁸, WBD aims to encourage families to discuss bedwetting with their doctors and obtain the help they need.

Bedwetting is clearly an inherited disease and in approximately 70% of cases there is at least one other family member who has or had the same problem as a child. For example, if a mother was a bedwetter as a child, there is a 7 times increased risk that her children will also suffer from enuresis. A specific gene that causes enuresis has not been identified yet but current research is focusing on this assignment.

Increased night-time urine production (="nocturnal polyuria") and reduced night-time bladder capacity are the two most common causes of bedwetting. It is important to know that these two causes may occur at the same time in a child. It is possible to recognize which of these two factors play a role in your child by simple home recording tools. By identifying the largest voided volume on a home diary (="frequency-volume-chart") it is possible to ascertain whether a child is suffering from 'reduced bladder capacity' (by comparing with published normal values).

If your child has bedwetting, it is important to visit your doctor. Although most children with bedwetting since infancy have no underlying disease in either the nerve system that controls bladder function or in the anatomy of the urinary tract, this should be ruled out by a visit to your doctor. Also, the doctor will determine whether bedwetting is the only problem or if there are other issues that need to be addressed. This could be wetting during day-time, signs of 'overactive bladder' (frequent and strong sensation to void), faecal incontinence and constipation, and recurrent urinary tract infections. If these conditions are present they should be treated before any treatment for bedwetting is initiated.