Bed-wetting

Diagnosis

The doctor can investigate if there is an underlying reason why your child wets the bed, depending on the circumstances. One can base a therapy plan on:

• Physical assessment.
• Talking about symptoms, bowel and bladder habits, family history, fluid consumption, and issues brought on by bedwetting.
• Urine testing to look for diabetes or infection indicators.
• Imaging studies, such as X–rays, to examine the kidneys or bladder and examine the urinary tract’s structure.
• Additional urinary tract evaluations or testing, if necessary.

Treatment

The majority of children naturally overcome bedwetting without any intervention. However, if necessary, it’s advisable to have a discussion about treatment options with your child’s healthcare provider. Together with your child, you can determine the most suitable approach.

If occasional wet nights don’t greatly distress your child, lifestyle adjustments can be a helpful first step. These adjustments may include avoiding caffeine, limiting evening fluid intake, and ensuring your child urinates right before bedtime.

In cases where lifestyle changes prove ineffective or if your child feels unhappy or anxious about bedwetting, alternative treatments may be considered. It’s essential for a doctor to investigate any underlying causes of bedwetting, such as constipation or sleep apnea, if they are identified.

Two potential treatments for bedwetting include the use of moisture alarms and medications.

Moisture alarms

These compact, battery–powered devices can be affixed to a pad on your child’s bed or pajamas, which can detect moisture. When moisture is detected, the alarm is triggered. Most pharmacies stock these moisture alarms, and a prescription is usually not required.

Ideally, the moisture alarm should activate as soon as your child begins to urinate. Your child should be able to wake up, pause urination, and make it to the bathroom in time. If your child is a heavy sleeper, it may be necessary for someone else to hear the alarm and wake them up.

When using a moisture alarm, it’s important to be patient and give it sufficient time to yield results. Typically, it can take one to three months to see improvement, and it may take up to sixteen weeks for some children to achieve dry nights. For many kids, moisture alarms are effective and can provide a long–term solution with a lower risk of side effects compared to medication.

Medicine

Should modifying one’s lifestyle not assist your child in remaining dry, your child can be provided medication for a brief duration to end bedwetting. Some medications have the ability to:

• Slow how much urine is produced during the night. Desmopressin (DDAVP) decreases the amount of urine produced at night. However, taking too much liquid with the medication may lead to issues. If your child is experiencing symptoms like diarrhea, fever, or nausea, do not give them desmopressin. Make sure you carefully read the directions on how to use this medication.

The drug desmopressin is taken orally. Only kids who are six years old or older are allowed. The potential of major adverse effects with desmopressin nasal spray forms makes them unsuitable for treating bedwetting, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

• Calm the bladder. An anticholinergic medication like oxybutynin may assist lessen bladder contractions and increase the amount of pee that your child’s bladder can hold if their bladder is small. This could be especially useful if there is also daytime wetness. Usually, this medication is used in combination with other medications. Usually, it’s only advised in cases where alternative therapies have failed.

In some cases, healthcare providers may prescribe medications for your child to address bedwetting. It’s important to note that there’s no guarantee of medication effectiveness, and it doesn’t provide a permanent solution. When medication is discontinued, bedwetting may typically resume. This may persist until your child reaches a different age when bedwetting naturally resolves on its own.