Is your child Bedwetting?
Wetting the bed can affect a child’s self-esteem and have a big impact on family life but it can be treated.
Bedwetting has three main causes-
- The child’s bladder doesn’t stretch enough to hold all the wee they make at night. Constipation could make this worse as if the bowel is full of poo it will press against the bladder.
- They produce too much wee at night.
- They don’t wake up when their bladder sends a signal to the brain that it’s full.
There are other causes for bedwetting such as, urinary infections, anxiety and stress and other illnesses such as diabetes (a doctor should be seen to rule any of these other causes out).
How to manage bedwetting
To stop or manage bedwetting a child should be seen by a health professional and referred to the enuresis clinic by the GP or School Nurse. The enuresis clinic will assess your child’s bladder and bowels and work out why they are wet at night and choose the best treatment.
Tips to help
- Ensure your child drinks enough fluids a minimum of 6-8 drinks a day and water is best, don’t limit the amount of drinks thinking it will make them dry it won’t work!
- Avoid fizzy, dark coloured drinks such as berry’s and hot chocolate and caffeine drinks such as tea and coffee.
- Make sure your child is not constipated; they should pass soft stools at least 4 times a week.
- Encourage your child to have regular toilet breaks and make sure they empty their bladder fully before they go to sleep.
- Use plenty of encouragement and get them to think positively and say “I can be dry” as they get in to bed.
For further help and advice please visit www.eric.org.uk
