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Bedwetting can be a very tough phase for a child. It is also a lot more common than you might realize; 5–10% of 5-year-olds, 3-5% of 10-year-olds, and close to 1% of 15-year-olds may still wet the bed at night. While there can be medical causes, it is typically a harmless issue that eventually resolves spontaneously with time, but can nonetheless be very frustrating for families.
Evaluation of bedwetting can be broad. There are two approaches to bedwetting depending on timeline of symptoms. If your child was consistently dry for at least 6 months at night, and then begins bedwetting, that is treated very differently than if your child has not been able to wake up dry nightly for the same period. Your pediatrician can help you figure out which side your child falls on in order to move forward in helping to tackle the issue.
Unfortunately, there is no test to confirm whether your child may just need more time in order to ‘outgrow’ the bedwetting. The evaluation process is mostly to rule out other issues. Things to consider when evaluating your child for bedwetting is family history (are there siblings, parents, aunts or uncles who had problems with bedwetting?), medical history, diet, lifestyle, and other factors to consider. There might be some labs or imaging that is appropriate depending on the circumstances and your pediatrician’s approach to evaluation. Your pediatrician can also help guide you through any treatment options that might be available depending on your child’s evaluation.
Tricks to help your child with bedwetting without medical management can be limiting fluid intake after dinner (be sure they drink plenty of fluids during the day), eliminating juices or caffeinated beverages, and reminding your child to use the restroom prior to bed.
If these changes do not help your child, then a bedwetting alarm might be useful. These are alarms that are meant to wake the child (and consequently the family) when the sensor becomes wet. They are incredibly effective in helping a child to overcome bedwetting, however they are quite the commitment for the entire family. There are also a few medications that could be options for your child to try to help with the bedwetting until they reach an older age.
Author: Savannah Browning
Dr. Savannah Browning grew up in Fayette, AL. She moved to Mobile to attend Medical School at the University of South Alabama in 2009, and has been a proud Mobilian ever since. She joined Children’s Medical Group in 2016, and her office is at the Airport Boulevard location. She lives in Mobile with her husband, Andrew, and their three children: Jude, Luke, and Annie.
