Question
A three-and-a-half-year-old boy often needs to be woken up at night to urinate, or else he will wet the bed. He also tends to wet his pants while playing. What kind of symptom is this? How should it be treated or what aspects of daily life should be paid attention to?
Answer
Bedwetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, refers to the condition where children over the age of three cannot control their urination while sleeping, resulting in unintentional bedwetting. This situation can weaken the child’s body, affect physical health and intellectual development, and also bring inconvenience to the family. Pediatric enuresis is mainly divided into functional and organic types, and most cases of bedwetting in children are caused by functional enuresis. The main reason is the dysfunction of the high-level central nervous system in the cerebral cortex, with common causes including psychological factors such as overexertion, mental tension, sudden fear, fear of shame, not adapting to new environments, and early lack of nighttime urination habits.