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| Bedwetting is recurrent,
uncontrolled urination that occurs during sleep. At about 18 months to 2 1/2 years,
children take the first step towards bladder control. However bedwetting is not
significant until a child is older than 4 years. 85 % of the children eventually outgrow
bedwetting without treatment. Bedwetting is more common in boys by a ratio of four to one,
although no one really knows why. |
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In most cases, the cause of
bedwetting is unknown. The following can be the most popular theories :
| 1. |
Child who is a deep sleeper. |
| 2. |
Any underlying
urinary tract infection. |
| 3. |
A small or a weak bladder that
cannot hold one night's urine production. |
| 4. |
Psychological problems caused by :
a. emotional insecurity due to separation from mother.
b. feeling of rejection usually due to the birth of a sibling.
c. any fear situation. |
| 5. |
Some abnormalities in the
genito-urinary system or some abnormalities in the spinal column. |
| 6. |
Juvenile
diabetics. |
| 7. |
Lack of toilet
training.
History of bedwetting in either parent.
Bedwetting is mainly determined by genetics, much in the same way as obesity is passed
from from parent to child. If both the parents are bedwetters, the child has 70% chance of
being a bedwetter. If only one parent wet the bed as a child, the chance that this trait
will be passed on is reduced to 40%. |
| 8. |
Food
allergies : Parents will often report that their child wets the bed, the night after a
birthday party. Carbonated, citrus, caffeinated juices, foods such as cola or chocolate,
red dyes and artificially coloured candy can contribute to bedwetting incidence. |
| 9. |
Stress factors in the
child, divorce in parents, new school, examinations, or loss of friendship can also
contribute to bedwetting. |
Attention Deficit Disorder - children with ADD
tend to have more problems than other children in achieving both day and night bladder
control.
HOW TO DEAL WITH BEDWETTING IN CHILDREN
| 1. |
Give the child love, and support
instead of condemning him/her in front of other siblings or outsiders. |
| 2. |
Laboratory
investigations of urine and blood to rule out juvenile diabetics or urinary tract
infection. |
| 3. |
Help the child to overcome any
psychological or emotional problem. |
| 4. |
Reward the child for staying dry.
Praise him, hug him and tell of his success to people who are important to him, such as
brothers and sisters. |
| 5. |
Don't blame, restrict, criticize or
punish the child who bedwets. |
| 6. |
Toilet Training which
is done as -
| a. |
Have the child urinate at bedtime. |
| b. |
Awaken
the child to urinate after he been asleep for
several hours. An alarm clock can be set to awaken him and empty his bladder during
the night. |
| c. |
Restrict the amount of liquids
given at bedtime. |
| d. |
Avoid the child sleeping directly
under the fan or in the draft of the AC. |
| e. |
Provide the child
with extra thick underwear and pyjamas. |
| f. |
Discontinue diapers
by age of four as they inhibit the
child's motivation to improve. |
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