Bedwetting
(Nocturnal Enuresis)
Medical Author: David Perlstein, MD, FAAP
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
What is bedwetting?
Bedwetting, also called nocturnal enuresis, is the involuntary passage of urine (urinary incontinence) while asleep. Inherent in the definition of bedwetting is satisfactory bladder control while the person is awake.
Are there types of bedwetting?
Two types of bedwetting occur:
- Primary enuresis -- bedwetting since infancy; and
- Secondary enuresis -- wetting developed after being continually dry for a minimum of six months.
What is primary bedwetting?
Primary bedwetting is generally viewed as a delay in maturation of the nervous system. At 5 years of age, approximately 20% of children wet the bed at least once a month with about 5% of males and 1% of females wetting nightly. By 6 years of age, only about 10% of children are bedwetters -- the large majority being boys. The percentage of all children who are bedwetters continues to diminish by 50% each year after 5 years of age. Family history plays a big roll in predicting primary bedwetting. If one parent was a bedwetter, the offspring have a 45% chance of a developing primary enuresis as well.
What is the basic problem in primary bedwetting?
The fundamental problem faced by children with primary bedwetting rests in
the inability while asleep to recognize neurologic messages sent by
the full bladder to the sleep arousal centers of the brain. In
addition, bladder capacity is often smaller in bedwetting children than in
their peers.
Is primary bedwetting due to emotional problems?
Parents sometimes believe that their child's primary bedwetting is
emotional. No medical or scientific literature exists to
support this impression.
Next: How is primary bedwetting treated? »
- Encopresis - Learn encopresis causes (constipation, diet), symptoms, treatment and diagnosis. Problems controlling bowel movements may be due to toilet training fears or other psychological problems.
- Urinary Incontinence in Children - Learn types of urinary incontinence in children, causes of daytime and nighttime (bedwetting) incontinence, treatment, medication and enuresis products for bladder problems.
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