Question
The child is 3.5 years old and has been wetting the bed multiple times (up to two or three times) every night since he was 1.5 years old. The urine output is small, and sometimes the child also pees in their pants during the day, feeling like they can’t hold it in. The child is also quite shy. How should it be treated?
Answer
Bedwetting, also known as enuresis, refers to children over 3 years old who cannot control urination while sleeping, resulting in unintentional bedwetting. The habit of bedwetting can affect a child’s physical constitution, health, and intellectual development, and it can also bring trouble to the family. There are usually two types of enuresis in children: functional and organic. Most cases of childhood enuresis are functional, caused by functional disorders of the cerebral cortex’s high-level centers. Common causes include psychological factors such as overexertion, stress, sudden shocks, fear and shyness, and not developing the habit of urinating at night from a young age. A few cases of enuresis are organic, often caused by conditions such as spina bifida, myelitis, spinal cord injury, epilepsy, underdevelopment of the brain, small bladder capacity, urinary tract infections, bladder stones, phimosis, anal fissure, and pinworm infection. For organic diseases, timely medical treatment should be sought; once the disease is cured, enuresis will also be cured. Functional enuresis is completely curable. Pay attention to the following points: ① Parents should treat their child’s enuresis correctly; bedwetting is involuntary. Parents should show sympathy, kindness, and assistance; they should never beat or abandon their child. ② Relieve psychological burden; children over 3 years old are beginning to understand things. Parents should persuade and comfort their children so that they know this is a temporary functional disorder that can be cured, thereby relieving psychological burden and building confidence in healing. ③ Establish a reasonable daily routine. Don’t let the child play too tired during the day; have them sleep for 1-2 hours at noon; after 4 p.m., don’t give the child too much fluid to drink.