Question

My child wets the bed twice at night, around midnight and 4 a.m. If adults forget to wake him up, he will definitely wet the bed. Sometimes, even if he is woken up in the middle of the night, he feels confused. He might even say, “I didn’t pee, so why is my pants wet?” He has never seen a doctor, but tried conger eel stewed with pork tripe, which seemed to have no effect. I would like to ask if there are any special food treatments for this? If I need to see a doctor, which department should I go to?

Answer

Based on your description, if your child still has bedwetting symptoms, it may be enuresis. It is recommended that you consult a pediatrician. Modern medical treatment methods include:

  1. Medication Treatment: Enuresis may resolve as the child grows older without special treatment. However, if symptoms are severe, tricyclic antidepressants such as imipramine can be used, with an effective dosage of 1-2.5 mg/kg body weight. Medications primarily containing desmopressin can also be tried, taken 2-3 times a day or before bedtime, which may be effective for some children.
  2. Behavioral Therapy: The most commonly used method for treating enuresis is the intermittent reinforcement method. The specific method is: let the child sleep on a specially designed sheet that contains two electrodes. When the child wets the bed, the electrodes will trigger an alarm sound to wake up the child or parents. If the child does not wet the bed, the parents should wake up the child to urinate. After multiple uses, the child can establish a conditioned reflex and will automatically wake up and urinate when the bladder is full.