By Nicole Christin, MD
Chief of Nephrology and Medical Director of Inpatient and Outpatient Dialysis at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
About Dr. Christin
Though having a child who wets the bed can be frustrating for parents, it’s a common condition among younger children that many have to face. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 5 million kids in the United States wet the bed, including approximately 15% from ages 5 to 7.
Common Causes
According to the University of California, San Francisco, two of the common causes of bedwetting are constipation and maturational delays. Kids tend to develop on their own timetable, so it’s not uncommon for bedwetting to continue to occur after toilet training. Bedwetting can have a genetic component to it, as well. If the parents had a tendency to wet the bed when they were younger, it’s more likely that the child will, as well.
Underlying medical conditions that contribute to bedwetting are rare, but they can occur in some cases. Some signs that your child’s bedwetting has a physical cause include:
- Snoring
- Pink or red urine
- Pain when urinating
- Extreme thirst
- Hard stools
When to Talk to Your Doctor
In general, specialty evaluation for bedwetting is not recommended for children under the age of 6 but should be disclosed to your child’s pediatrician. Your child is still developing their bladder control during that time, and bedwetting can be quite common in children of this age. If bedwetting still occurs frequently after age 6, then it may be time to talk to your pediatrician about evaluation or subspecialty referral. Additionally, if your child seems to have stopped wetting the bed but then has a relapse after a few months, that’s another good time to talk to a pediatrician.
Treatment Options
One common treatment option for persistent bedwetting, after evaluation, after the age of 6 is a bedwetting alarm. These alarms are intended to go off at the first signs of urine, and they essentially train your child to get up and use the bathroom if they start to wet the bed. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that these alarms help in 50-75% of bedwetting cases. However, it takes a lot of motivation from both the parents and child for the alarm to be successful.
Medications are also available to limit bedwetting, but they do not cure the underlying issues that contribute to the condition. In cases where the child has a sleepover or is going away to camp, however, they may be helpful.
Of course, if your doctor suspects that another medical condition is contributing to the bedwetting, treatment of that condition should help. If a more serious problem is suspected, then your child may be referred to a pediatric nephrologist or urologist, a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating kidney and urinary tract issues in children and teens, for further evaluation.
The Bottom Line on Bedwetting
In most cases, bedwetting is a natural part of childhood that tends to resolve over time. If problems persist beyond the age of 6, however, it’s worth a visit with your pediatrician for further evaluation and to discuss potential treatment options.