Written by Editorial Team
Potty training the child is perhaps one of the most challenging part of parenting. It’s every mum’s wish that her child outgrows wetting bed and soiled pants. And they eventually do, however some kids continue to have episodes of bedwetting. Is it plainly because of laziness, or he is scared that a ghost will grab him if he steps out of his bed at night to pee? Bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis is also called sleep-wetting and night time urinary incontinence. It is characterized by involuntary urination, particularly at night during sleep.
Bedwetting is the involuntary passage of urine in the day or night, medically known as enuresis. Wetting is quite common for young children, and some degree of bladder control is achieved by kids sometime around their 4th birthday. Kids generally attain daytime wetting control earlier than nighttime wetting control. Bedwetting is also referred to as urinary incontinence. Parents must realise that bedwetting is a common condition and a child who wets his bed needs the parent’s reassurance and support. Bedwetting can be classified into two types:
Bedwetting is not a behavioral issue, it is more genetic and runs in the families. There is quite a research which has basically classified the causes of bedwetting as:
The primary causes often need to be assessed by the pediatrician along with some testing.
Each child is unique and the age at they are able to fully control their bladder thereby varies. This should usually happen between the ages 4 of 7, if bedwetting persists beyond 7 years, you need to delve deeper into this problem and perhaps consult your pediatrician.
Though bedwetting can be the result of an underlying condition, in children it is not really the case. Research has it that bedwetting can be a symptom of some other condition in only 1% of the kids, for rest it is generally a developmental issue. Bedwetting in no way indicate that a child is lazy, disobedient or does it on purpose. Children do learn how to control the bladder at different ages, with girls learning it sooner. Bedwetting is more common than you think, and before you label your child as wilful, you should understand bedwetting and learn how to deal with this common childhood problem.
Children learn bladder control at different ages and the same varies considerably. While some parents expect their children to learn bladder control early, some parents give their children a lot of time to learn the same. This is due to the cultures and attitudes of the parents and caregivers. It is also learnt that bedwetting is more commonly seen in boys than girls, and a child’s overall physical and mental development and health can considerably impact the age at which bladder control is achieved by a child. However, bedwetting is largely a treatable condition- and several devices like moisture alarms have flooded the markets to help children stay dry at night.
Below are a few tips to help your child prevent bedwetting:
Bedwetting is not a new diagnosis, since long doctors have assured mothers that bedwetting is nothing to worry about. Do not embarrass or scold your child if he happens to counter this situation. However, if this problems begins to hamper his social activities and he tends to spend time in isolation, then perhaps you should discuss the situation with his pediatrician.
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