Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Urology (Expert Forum)
Child still wet's bed at night
Questions in the Urology forum are answered by Dr. Stephen Liroff, affiliated with the Henry Ford Hospital. Topics covered include benign prostate disease, penis curvature, cystisis, kidney stones, pediatric urology, prostate, sexual dysfunction, urinary tract infections (UTI), and urological cancers.
Child still wet's bed at night
by marcos-alvarado, Mar 10, 1999 12:00AM
My son is 5 years old and he still urinates his bed, he has a 7 month old brother I have red that this is normal but my concern till what point.
Should I punish him for this behaiver ?
I am really concern about it, please help me.
Should I punish him for this behaiver ?
I am really concern about it, please help me.
Doctor's Answer
by hfhs M.D.-AK, Mar 10, 1999 12:00AM
_
Dear Marcos,
Enuresis is defined as an involuntary discharge of urine but is imprecisely used to describe bed wetting. Approximately 15% of normal children still wet the bed at age 5 and this gradually becomes more of a concern once the child enters school. It is not until the age of 7 that dryness is expected by your child’s peers and a work-up should be started(some doctor will start as early as age 4). With a spontaneous resolution rate of about 15% per year, I give my patients the 15,5,1 rule. 15% of children are wet at age 5, 5% are wet at age 10, and 1% are wet at age 15. Those that are wet each year, about 15% will spontaneously dry up.
Children such as your son who have never been completely dry for a sustained period of time are termed primary enuretics. Unfortunately, the development of urinary control is not always final with approximately 25% of those who obtain dry experiencing a period of relapse.
As a group, children with enuresis are biologically and physiologically normal and similar to those other children who have obtained bladder control. A variety of theories have been proposed to explain enuresis including a developmental delay, sleep abnormalities, genetic factors and stress. It is not likely that any one theory will explain each patient, but usually a combination.
I would not punish your son, but rather reenforce the positive. Make a calender and give him a reward for the days and weeks that he remains dry(stickers work well). Gradually increase the amount of time for him to get the reward. Punishment for bed wetting can only make the process harder for your son.
This information is provided for general medical educational purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition. More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its satellites (1 800 653-6568).
Sincerely,
HFHS M.D.-AK
*keyword:Enuresis
