Your child may be one of millions in the U.S. who is still wetting the bed at night beyond the typical toilet training years. Although bedwetting by an older child is not physically harmful, it can cause much frustration for a child and adults in the household. It is especially stressful for children who are looking forward to attending camp or an overnight with a friend.
Several common causes may be responsible for your child’s bedwetting, including a history of bedwetting in the family, a small or underdeveloped bladder, deep sleeping that doesn’t allow the child to awaken in response to a full bladder, or stressful life situations like a death in the family.
We welcome the opportunity to discuss bedwetting management with you at Pediatric Care Centers. One of the first steps we take is to rule out any possible medical conditions that may be causing the problem such as urinary tract infection or a neurological defect. Once that is done, we can proceed with any of a number of available treatments.
Stick with Proven Treatments
One or more treatments can be used with your child. The good news is one method or a combination of methods is very likely to resolve the problem. The bad news is there are unproven “cures” and devices falsely advertised to be successful. Talk with your health care professional at Pediatric Care Centers before investing in any of these.
Best available treatments include:
- Bedwetting alarms. These devices sound an alarm at the first sign of wetness so your child can wake up and use the toilet. They are successful 50-70% of the time.
- Medications. We can prescribe medications to treat children six years and older, but before you determine it’s a good choice for your child we’ll also provide advice on dosage and possible side effects.
- Encouragement. Keep a positive, non-judgmental attitude in the home. Let bedwetting children know that this is a problem they’ll outgrow with time and/or treatment. Meanwhile, take steps before bedtime to limit fluids after dinnertime and encourage using the toilet before bed.
