Question

My child is now 6 and a half years old and frequently wets the bed. How can I stop him from wetting the bed? My father also had bedwetting as a child and it improved when he grew up. Is bedwetting hereditary? What is the best treatment?

Answer

Bedwetting is not hereditary. Bedwetting in children, known as enuresis, refers to children over the age of 3 who wet the bed while asleep, indicating their inability to control urination. Habitual enuresis can lead to weakness and affect the child’s physical health and intellectual development. It also causes inconvenience to the family. There are generally two types of bedwetting in children: functional and organic. The vast majority of cases are functional, caused by a functional disorder of the high-level cerebral cortex. Common factors or causes include mental factors such as excessive fatigue, stress, sudden fright, fear of unfamiliar environments, and not forming the habit of nighttime urination from an early age. In rare cases, bedwetting is organic, often due to conditions such as spina bifida, spinal meningitis, spinal cord injury, epilepsy, developmental disorders of the brain, small bladder capacity, urinary tract infections, bladder stones, phimosis, anal fissure, pinworm infection, etc. For organic conditions, it is important to seek medical treatment promptly. Once the underlying disease is cured, enuresis will also be resolved. For functional enuresis, it is completely curable. Here are some points to consider: ① Parents should treat their children’s enuresis correctly. Wet dreams are involuntary and parents should show sympathy, understanding and support rather than punishment or neglect. ② Eliminate mental stress. By the age of 3, children begin to understand more. Parents should encourage and comfort their children, explaining that this is a temporary functional disorder that can be cured, thereby relieving mental stress and building confidence in recovery. ③ Establish a reasonable daily routine. Do not allow children to play too much during the day.