Why Does a 5-Year-Old Girl Frequently Wet the Bed?

Question

Why does a 5-year-old girl frequently wet the bed, sometimes wetting her pants during the day and consistently wetting the bed at night? Could she have a health issue?

Answer

Enuresis can be divided into two categories: primary enuresis, which is bedwetting at night; and secondary enuresis, which not only includes bedwetting at night but also inappropriate urination during the day when not in deep sleep or awake. From a pathological perspective, primary enuresis is usually caused by dyscoordination of nervous function, often manifested as persistent bedwetting without accompanying symptoms. Secondary enuresis is more commonly caused by organic inflammation, such as nerve system damage or tumors in related organs, which usually accompanies other symptoms and improves with the improvement of other inflammatory conditions.