What is bed wetting?
\nBed wetting (known medically as nocturnal enuresis) is a common condition that affects many children and young people.<\/p>\n
\t1 in 5 children aged 5 years old wet the bed
\n \t1 in 10 children aged 7 years old wet the bed.<\/p>\n
Bed wetting often runs in families. If one parent wet the bed, their child has a 40% chance of doing the same; if both parents wet the bed, there\u2019s a 70% chance.<\/p>\n
It is important to remember that bed wetting is not the child\\’s fault and they should not be punished for wetting the bed. It is a medical condition and it can be treated. You can find out more information about bed wetting then click here.
\nHow can a School Nurse help?
\nHealth professionals can help children and young people who wet the bed. School Nurses work with GP\\’s and paediatricians to provide assessment and treatment for bed wetting.
\nContacting a School Nurse
\nIf your child wets the bed then you can contact the School Nursing service who can offer advice and support. You can call us on 01922 423349 or text on 07520 634 909. We can talk to you and offer advice and support.<\/p>\n
We will recommend that you attend our workshop if your child has not previously had any support for bed wetting. Or if you prefer you can watch one of our School Nursing team talk about bedwetting and how to help you child become dry at night.<\/p>\n
During the workshop or on line webinar you will hear information about bed wetting and be given some tips and things to try at home. We will ask you to keep a record about your child\\’s bed wetting and information such as what your child drinks, how much and when they have a drink. If you attend a workshop we will give you some charts to keep a record of your child\\’s progress. If you watched our webinar then please text or call the number above and we will send you some charts. You will need this information if your child is offered an appointment at our bedwetting clinic.
\nMore Information about bed wetting
\nWhat causes bed wetting?
\nThe causes of bed wetting are not fully understood. However there are three main reasons why children wet the bed:<\/p>\n
\tTheir bladders don\u2019t stretch enough to hold all the wee they make at night.
\n \tThey produce too much wee at night.
\n \tThey don\u2019t wake up when their bladder sends a signal that it\u2019s full.<\/p>\n
Sometimes there can be an underlying medical problem that causes the bed wetting. These include:<\/p>\n
\tConstipation\u00a0is when a child pass hard , infrequent poo\\’s. It is important to get constipation treated before bed wetting treatment starts.
\n \tType 1 diabetes
\n \tUrinary Tract Infection<\/p>\n
Occasionally a child might have a problem with their bladder. This can mean the child or young person needs to empty their bladder frequently (even when it contains only a small amount of urine) or urgently before it is full. Children and young people with bladder problems may also have problems with wetting during the day.
\nHow is bed wetting treated?
\nFirst Steps
\nYou can try some simple adjustments to your child\\’s drinking habits, toileting routine and bed time routine. Your child will need lots of encouragement and praise for the effort they make and the improvements that are achieved. School Nurses run workshops which give further help and guidance on making these changes and monitoring improvements.<\/p>\n
\nHere are some helpful do\\’s and don\\’t\\’s
\nThings to try. Do<\/p>\n
\tgive your child enough water to drink during the day
\n \tmake sure your child goes to the toilet regularly, around 4 to 7 times a day, including just before bedtime
\n \tagree with your child on rewards for positive actions, such as a sticker for every time they use the toilet before bed
\n \tuse waterproof covers on their mattress and duvet
\n \tmake sure they have easy access to a toilet at night<\/p>\n
Things that should not be done. Do not<\/p>\n
\tpunish your child \u2013 it is not their fault and can make bed wetting worse
\n \tgive your child drinks containing caffeine, such as cola, tea and coffee \u2013 this can make them pee more
\n \tregularly wake or carry your child in the night to use the toilet \u2013 this will not help in the long term<\/p>\n
Next steps
\nThe small changes are often enough to help your achieve to become dry at night. However, some children need a little more support. The School Nursing can offer further support. Your child might benefit from an alarm which they use at night and this helps to train their brain to respond to the signals to wake up and use the toilet.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Most children have good outcomes when they use a bed alarm and they become dry at night. A small number of children might need further treatment. They might need a medicine called desmopression which is a hormone that tells the brain to produce less wee at night. This can be used alongside an alarm and is usually prescribed by your child\\’s GP. More rarely, a child might be referred to a paediatrician who will carry out an assessments and perhaps some tests if your child continues to wet the bed. This is more likely to be advised if your child also has problems with wetting in the daytime.
\nUseful Sources of Information<\/p>\n
\tBladder and Bowel UK \u00a0provides advice for parents\/carers and has easy read information for children and young people.
\n \tERIC is a charity with over 30 years experience of providing help and advice to parents\/carers and children and young people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"