Question:
> My eldest son was 11 before he stopped regularly bed wetting. My daughter was > 7. My youngest son is 6 and is getting better and may have stopped by 8. Its > hard not to be annoyed, but bed wetting needs understanding and patience. > Being angry doesn’t help. Our ped suggested if it doesn’t stop by 13 to then > see a physician. There are cases where chemical imbalance can cause longer > term bed wetting but it is treatable. By treatable he said a drug is given > which helps them to train themselves to wake up and get to the bathroom before > urinating. He was not aware of any reasons why bedwetting couldn’t be > corrected without long term issues.
Again with the drugs…when does it stop? — Brian Ream Kalamazoo Michigan
Response:
> > My eldest son was 11 before he stopped regularly bed wetting. My daughter was > 7. My youngest son is 6 and is getting better and may have stopped by 8. Its > hard not to be annoyed, but bed wetting needs understanding and patience. > Being angry doesn’t help. Our ped suggested if it doesn’t stop by 13 to then > see a physician. There are cases where chemical imbalance can cause longer > term bed wetting but it is treatable. By treatable he said a drug is given > which helps them to train themselves to wake up and get to the bathroom before > urinating. He was not aware of any reasons why bedwetting couldn’t be > corrected without long term issues. > Again with the drugs…when does it stop?
Why should it stop? Mike — From Seattle, WA – Seahawks, cinema, science and more at http://kohary.simplenet.com Seahawks: http://kohary.simplenet.com/hawks.htm Cinema: http://kohary.simplenet.com/movies.htm Science: http://kohary.simplenet.com/science.htm
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > My eldest son was 11 before he stopped regularly bed wetting. My daughter was > > 7. My youngest son is 6 and is getting better and may have stopped by 8. Its > > hard not to be annoyed, but bed wetting needs understanding and patience. > > Being angry doesn’t help. Our ped suggested if it doesn’t stop by 13 to then > > see a physician. There are cases where chemical imbalance can cause longer > > term bed wetting but it is treatable. By treatable he said a drug is given > > which helps them to train themselves to wake up and get to the bathroom before > > urinating. He was not aware of any reasons why bedwetting couldn’t be > > corrected without long term issues. > Again with the drugs…when does it stop? > Why should it stop?
Because people need to learn to deal with things without drugs. If you allow the use of chemicals for bedwetting, why not allow the use of alcohol for nervousness? Sedatives for hyperactivity? Speed for drowsiness? When does it stop? — Brian Ream Kalamazoo Michigan
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > > My eldest son was 11 before he stopped regularly bed wetting. My daughter was > > > 7. My youngest son is 6 and is getting better and may have stopped by 8. Its > > > hard not to be annoyed, but bed wetting needs understanding and patience. > > > Being angry doesn’t help. Our ped suggested if it doesn’t stop by 13 to then > > > see a physician. There are cases where chemical imbalance can cause longer > > > term bed wetting but it is treatable. By treatable he said a drug is given > > > which helps them to train themselves to wake up and get to the bathroom before > > > urinating. He was not aware of any reasons why bedwetting couldn’t be > > > corrected without long term issues. > > Again with the drugs…when does it stop? > Why should it stop? > Because people need to learn to deal with things without drugs. If you > allow the use of chemicals for bedwetting,
Because bedwetting that persist into the pre-teen or teen years (I know of an unfortunate 17-yr-old girl with this problem) is occasionally caused by a chemical imballance. Correct the imballance, and you correct the bedwetting. why not allow the use of…. > Sedatives for hyperactivity?
Actually, hyperactivity is usually treated with stimulants (like Ritalin), not sedatives. Phan
Response:
Verne – You make some very good points. I would especially hate to see anyone put their child on the drugs before they have tried the wetness alarms. We got one for our eight year old a couple of months ago, and it fixed what had been a nearly nightly problem completely, and after only a couple of nights of using it. We got the vibrating kind, so it doesn’t wake up anyone else. These don’t work for all kids, but it sure did for ours. Even the proponents of the drugs say the drugs work in only about 60% of the cases tried. Cush.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->.Parents before you start running to your doctor for a prescription >take a real good look at the side effects of these drugs. Some of >them are real nasty. A few things to note about these drugs is they >are very expewnsive, and when you stop using them you are right back >where you started.
Response:
>My eldest son was 11 before he stopped regularly bed wetting. My daughter >was >7. My youngest son is 6 and is getting better and may have stopped by 8. >Its >hard not to be annoyed, but bed wetting needs understanding and patience. >Being angry doesn’t help. Our ped suggested if it doesn’t stop by 13 to then >see a physician. There are cases where chemical imbalance can cause longer >term bed wetting but it is treatable. By treatable he said a drug is given >which helps them to train themselves to wake up and get to the bathroom >before >urinating. He was not aware of any reasons why bedwetting couldn’t be >corrected without long term issues.
It is quite embarrassing but I wet the bed (almost nightly) until I started my period at 13-14 years old. I was a very deep sleeper and we had tried everything available at the time…limiting food/drink before bedtime, scheduled wakeups, medical tests, Tofrinol, therapy. It didn’t disappear overnight, but significantly decreased after I started having periods. The scheduled wakeups were probably most effective (combined with limiting food/drink at night) but I would wet 1-2 times per night so, getting the timing right was the key to success. Good luck!
Response:
> > > Again with the drugs…when does it stop? > Why should it stop? > Because people need to learn to deal with things without drugs.
That’s just a reiteration of your first statement; the question is "why"? I’m not arguing, just posing the question. > If you > allow the use of chemicals for bedwetting, why not allow the use of > alcohol for nervousness? Sedatives for hyperactivity? Speed for > drowsiness? When does it stop?
What if the bedwetting is caused by a physiological mechanism that can be effectively treated with drugs? Mike — From Seattle, WA – Seahawks, cinema, science and more at http://kohary.simplenet.com Seahawks: http://kohary.simplenet.com/hawks.htm Cinema: http://kohary.simplenet.com/movies.htm Science: http://kohary.simplenet.com/science.htm
Response:
Bedwetting is sometimes physiological and tends to run in families a bit, it usually stops by the time the child is about 9 or 10 if not before. Sometimes it can be caused by anxiety and sometimes by bladder infection. It is always worth having a check with the doctor in case it is an infection. If not it is important to remember that the child can’t help it so rewards and punishment are not likely to work and may make the child more anxious and therefore more likely to wet the bed. Check on www.cyh.sa.gov.au under parenting/child health. There is good information about bed wetting. Pam
Response:
Pullups at night hardly ever leak for us, but I recently switched to Dry Nights and they leak almost every night. Maybe just too big for him. I’ll be going back to the pullups.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->My 5yo boy still wets at night and sometimes wets his pants. >Some kids take longer. His ped says this is common at 5 and 6. When I asked >about leaking out of Pull-Ups at night, I was told that is common too and to >use diapers. >We use the new size 6 Pampers now after lots of wet beds because his Pull-Up >leaked >I’d be glad to share experiences with other parents. >Debi
Response:
Dear Debi, My 6yo girl still wets at night. We have finally managed to get her to stay dry during the day. We gave up using nappies (diapers) at night as she was wetting her nappy and her bed, it cut down on the washing. It takes more time for some children. My nephew wet his bed every night for a year after he started school. Good luck. Suzie >My 5yo boy still wets at night and sometimes wets his pants. >Some kids take longer. His ped says this is common at 5 and 6. When I asked >about leaking out of Pull-Ups at night, I was told that is common too and to >use diapers. >We use the new size 6 Pampers now after lots of wet beds because his Pull-Up >leaked >I’d be glad to share experiences with other parents. >Debi
Suzie Melbourne, Australia
Response:
My son is now 18, and still wets nightly due to physical conditions. He is VERY small for his age (wears size 10 clothing). I purchased the new Pampers size 6 and they fit quite nicely. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Dear Debi, > My 6yo girl still wets at night. We have finally managed to get her to stay > dry during the day. We gave up using nappies (diapers) at night as she was > wetting her nappy and her bed, it cut down on the washing. It takes more time > for some children. My nephew wet his bed every night for a year after he > started school. > Good luck. > Suzie >My 5yo boy still wets at night and sometimes wets his pants. >Some kids take longer. His ped says this is common at 5 and 6. When I asked >about leaking out of Pull-Ups at night, I was told that is common too and to >use diapers. >We use the new size 6 Pampers now after lots of wet beds because his Pull-Up >leaked >I’d be glad to share experiences with other parents. >Debi > Suzie > Melbourne, Australia > ‰
Response:
My eldest son was 11 before he stopped regularly bed wetting. My daughter was 7. My youngest son is 6 and is getting better and may have stopped by 8. Its hard not to be annoyed, but bed wetting needs understanding and patience. Being angry doesn’t help. Our ped suggested if it doesn’t stop by 13 to then see a physician. There are cases where chemical imbalance can cause longer term bed wetting but it is treatable. By treatable he said a drug is given which helps them to train themselves to wake up and get to the bathroom before urinating. He was not aware of any reasons why bedwetting couldn’t be corrected without long term issues.
Response:
I have a six year old son who wore pull ups at night until he was five, two years after he daytime potty trained. Now he gets up when he has to go, but comes crying into my room to take him to the bathroom – he’s not awake – he can’t remember anything in the AM. I also have twin 4 1/.4 year old girls. One has been potty trained since she was 2 and one since she was 3. Both still wear pull-ups to bed and they are soaking in the AM. When they turned 4 we agreed to let go of the pull-ups at night. I peed them before bed and again at 11PM. Every morning they were soaking. Since they didn’t even wake up when they wet the bed I decided they weren’t ready to stay dry all night – so the pull-ups came back after two weeks of daily laundry. From what I hear most kids learn to pee themselves at night about six months after they are day potty trained. Why are we the exception? Am I doing something wrong? Should we try taking the pull-ups away again now that three months have passed? Any suggestions/experiences would be welcome. Alice
Response:
Alice: I read somewhere that night time wetting can be an inherited trait. Did you or your husband have a problem with night wetting? My rule of thumb, is when in doubt, ask a pediatrician that you trust. If there doesn’t seem to be a physiological cause, trust that they will grow out of it. I believe that there are very few people who continue to wet the bed beyond age 7 or 8 (and I’m pretty sure that the problem is more common with girls). I know a little boy (well, not so little now — he’s going on fourteen)), who had problems with bed wetting until age twelve. It took care of itself all of a sudden just prior to him turning thirteen. I know the above doesn’t really offer any advice, but at least you know that others have dealt with this before. BTW, my daughter was opposite of most — she’s been dry at night since age two, but didn’t "train" for the day until she was almost three! They are all *so* different! Mary mother to Lili (5-3-95), Jenny (9-21-97), and ???, (2/13/99) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I have a six year old son who wore pull ups at night until he was five, >two years >after he daytime potty trained. Now he gets up when he has to go, but >comes >crying into my room to take him to the bathroom – he’s not awake – he >can’t remember anything in the AM. >I also have twin 4 1/.4 year old girls. One has been potty trained >since she was 2 and one since she was 3. Both still wear pull-ups to >bed and they are soaking in the AM. >When they turned 4 we agreed to let go of the pull-ups at night. I peed >them before >bed and again at 11PM. Every morning they were soaking. Since they >didn’t even wake >up when they wet the bed I decided they weren’t ready to stay dry all >night – so the pull-ups came back after two weeks of daily laundry. >From what I hear most kids learn to pee themselves at night about six >months after they >are day potty trained. Why are we the exception? Am I doing something >wrong? Should we try taking the pull-ups away again now that three >months have passed? Any suggestions/experiences would be welcome. >Alice
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I have a six year old son who wore pull ups at night until he was five, > two years > after he daytime potty trained. Now he gets up when he has to go, but > comes > crying into my room to take him to the bathroom – he’s not awake – he > can’t remember anything in the AM. > I also have twin 4 1/.4 year old girls. One has been potty trained > since she was 2 and one since she was 3. Both still wear pull-ups to > bed and they are soaking in the AM. > When they turned 4 we agreed to let go of the pull-ups at night. I peed > them before > bed and again at 11PM. Every morning they were soaking. Since they > didn’t even wake > up when they wet the bed I decided they weren’t ready to stay dry all > night – so the pull-ups came back after two weeks of daily laundry. > From what I hear most kids learn to pee themselves at night about six > months after they > are day potty trained. Why are we the exception? Am I doing something > wrong? Should we try taking the pull-ups away again now that three > months have passed? Any suggestions/experiences would be welcome. > Alice
Bed wetting has a strong heriditary component — are there uncles who were late to conquer this? [boys tend to be later -- and have more problems -- but plenty of girls do too. If you or Dad or other relatives were late -- this may be your problem.] You might check with your pediatrician — for some kids, medication helps. You might also look into buzzer devices to help the kids learn to recognize the full bladder sensation while asleep — IF THEY are bothered by night wetting and WANT to change. The buzzer devices [some are like clip on pagers and sense early wetness and wake the child] are helpful for kids who are very committed to being dry and can view them as helpers or warning devices and not as punishment.
Response:
> Bed wetting has a strong heriditary component — are there uncles > who were late to conquer this? [boys tend to be later -- and have > more problems -- but plenty of girls do too. If you or Dad or other > relatives were late -- this may be your problem.] > You might check with your pediatrician — for some kids, medication > helps. You might also look into buzzer devices to help the kids > learn to recognize the full bladder sensation while asleep — IF > THEY are bothered by night wetting and WANT to change. The buzzer > devices [some are like clip on pagers and sense early wetness and > wake the child] are helpful for kids who are very committed to > being dry and can view them as helpers or warning devices and not > as punishment.
Hamilton, Actually it turns out that Dad and his twin brother were both bed wetters until they were 9!! My in-laws even had tests done to check their bladders – it turned out they were just small. Maybe that’s our problem – I just can’t believe all three kids inhereted this! I have heard about the buzzers. Both of my girls would dearly love to give up pul-ups. Where do you get them? THanks, Alice
Response:
About 10% of children still bedwet until they are up to 10 years old. It sometimes runs in families and you will find an uncle or father or someone who wet the bed. The child does not do it consciously so rewards don’t help. After they are 7 or 8 if it is a big worry to you or the child you can get an alarm program that might help, but many parents just wait until they grow out of it. Pam – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I have a six year old son who wore pull ups at night until he was five, >two years >after he daytime potty trained. Now he gets up when he has to go, but >comes >crying into my room to take him to the bathroom – he’s not awake – he >can’t remember anything in the AM. >I also have twin 4 1/.4 year old girls. One has been potty trained >since she was 2 and one since she was 3. Both still wear pull-ups to >bed and they are soaking in the AM. >When they turned 4 we agreed to let go of the pull-ups at night. I peed >them before >bed and again at 11PM. Every morning they were soaking. Since they >didn’t even wake >up when they wet the bed I decided they weren’t ready to stay dry all >night – so the pull-ups came back after two weeks of daily laundry. >From what I hear most kids learn to pee themselves at night about six >months after they >are day potty trained. Why are we the exception? Am I doing something >wrong? Should we try taking the pull-ups away again now that three >months have passed? Any suggestions/experiences would be welcome. >Alice
Response:
> From what I hear most kids learn to pee themselves at night about six > months after they > are day potty trained.
Most, NOT ALL, Alice. >Why are we the exception? Am I doing something > wrong? Should we try taking the pull-ups away again now that three > months have passed? Any suggestions/experiences would be welcome.
I am going through the same thing right now with my boy who has just turned six. I am lifting him at about 1am or 2am every night. Do a bit of research on the net by searching under "enuresis". Personally I am not convinced by the alarms just yet. I intend to hang in there for a while longer. The problem is completey INVOLUNTARY and is completely unrelated to whether they go to the bathroom before bed or drinks. It appears to be mostly about a deep sleep problem. I kow it’s a right pain, but the way I see it, he’ll be old enough soon enough . .. I think I can manage to give him a while longer before panicking. All the best. Ziggy THIS IS SOMTHING I GOT IN MY SEARCH The Wet Set: What Parents Need to Know About Bedwetting It affects many children of all ages. Every night across America, seven million kids are turning off the lights, going to sleep, and wetting their beds. Its medical name is enuresis – "the involuntary voiding of urine beyond the age of anticipated control" – and it’s a common condition in children and adolescents. It’s also a stress on parents, kids, and bedsheets. For the person wetting the bed, it’s often a major embarrassment. For parents, there may be a mixture of annoyance and sometimes a little anger. They wonder if bedwetting is being done on purpose or through laziness. Who’s Affected? Enuresis affects 15-20% of five- to six-year-old children and about 1% of adolescents. Most children with enuresis are physically and emotionally normal. While some may have small bladders, this should not keep them from achieving dryness. Sleep-wetting in children under age six is so common, it doesn’t warrant a special treatment program. The average age of children treated at the Enuresis Clinic at duPont Hospital for Children is ten. Most (but not all) are boys. Enuresis often runs in families – 85% of the children seen at duPont’s clinic have a relative with enuresis, and 57% have a parent or sibling with enuresis. Types of Enuresis Most kids have "primary" enuresis, meaning that they have wet their beds since toddlerhood. Enuresis has nothing to do with how a child was toilet trained. Parents should not feel guilty and think they did something wrong. Some kids have "secondary" enuresis – meaning they used to be dry and then became wet. While some medical problems, such as urinary tract infections and diabetes, and some family stressors, such as divorce or school problems, may play a role in secondary enuresis, often no specific reason is identified. Most kids have nocturnal (or nighttime) enuresis. They wet at night while asleep. Occasionally some children are evaluated who wet in the day while awake (diurnal enuresis). They may have a "jumpy" or unstable bladder which is seen in association with frequent urination and urinary tract infections. These children may be seen in conjunction with pediatric urologists and occasionally use medication for a few months to relax the bladder muscle. Constipation is associated with enuresis, sometimes with underwear soiling in severe cases (called encopresis). Usually, simple dietary changes can cure mild constipation, but in severe cases, this constipation should be aggressively treated before addressing the enuresis. "We also see many children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who have enuresis," says Dr. Rob Walter, who directs the duPont Enuresis Clinic. "They usually do well on the program and the families are happy to be using a nonpharmacologic approach, since their children may already be on medications for the ADHD." No Answers, but a Cure No one knows exactly why children sleep-wet – there probably are multiple reasons. Almost all children seen at the duPont clinic are very deep sleepers. While other children might wake up when they sense that their bladders are full, these children may simply have difficulty arousing. Some kids are drier when sleeping at a friend’s or relative’s home, but always wet in their own bed. Perhaps sleeping in a strange bed away from home, they are not in quite as deep a sleep. This is especially frustrating for child and parents. However, this is an excellent sign that the child should be able to be cured. These children may be consciously or subconsciously thinking about staying dry through the night when they are away from home. This kind of mental imagery can help. "Most parents have tried waking their children up during the night to urinate (not an easy task), but often they are still wet in the morning, and everyone is exhausted," says Dr. Walter. "Most also try fluid restriction (sometimes to extremes), and their children still are wet the next morning – and thirsty all night. We do not stress these types of techniques. We want kids to sleep through the night or wake themselves up on their own. We do stress common sense with the amount of fluids at night, plus avoiding caffeine." According to Dr Walter, enuresis almost always resolves on its own and is not the child’s fault. "Success in enuresis treatment depends on a motivated child. Though they might not know ‘how’ to change their sleep behavior, dry nights can be achieved. We stress that almost no one wets the bed on purpose. After all, it’s often embarrassing and uncomfortable. Punishments have no place in the treatment of sleep-wetting, and can make the problem worse. If there is to be success, family support and positive reinforcement are vital." "Most of the kids seen in our clinic wet seven nights per week," says Dr. Walter. "Some wet multiple times per night. Still, they can become successful at staying dry. Understandably, most kids think that they are the only ones in their class who sleep-wet. We emphasize to them that others also sleep-wet, but since most kids aren’t likely to discuss sleep-wetting with their friends, it may feel like they are the only ones with the problem." It is helpful to let a child know about other family members who used to be wet but are now dry. Parents should discuss sleep-wetting with their pediatrician. A history, physical exam, and urinalysis screening are important first steps – and usually show completely normal results. Many hospitals have established clinics to help treat the problem. Successful Treatment Fifteen percent of children who have enuresis have spontaneous cures each year without treatment. A child who sleep-wets is likely to stop eventually. The purpose of a treatment program is to make this happen sooner. Success can come as early as one or two months after treatment is begun. Most successful treatment programs are multifaceted, using several techniques simultaneously to achieve the greatest effect with the fewest office visits (usually one or two). "We treat hundreds of boys and girls each year in our clinic at duPont," says Dr. Walter. "Our approach stresses changes in behavior, not use of medications. Some programs use the anti-diuretic hormone DDAVP that can be sprayed up the nostrils before bed. Most of our patients have already tried these medications unsuccessfully by the time they see us. The one-year cure rate for the medications isn’t as good as you would hope. In fact, it’s less than half of that of the behavioral methods. And medications often are expensive. On the other hand, your pediatrician may be comfortable with this approach initially. For some it does work." Dr. Walter encourages a reward system for dry nights, plus having the children take responsibility by helping with the wet sheets. (This is not a punishment!) "We suggest that the children stop using pull-up pants for one to two months while they are on a program, and do bladder stretching exercises once a day. We also have the kids read a picture book about enuresis each night to reinforce staying dry. A buzzer alarm (either auditory or vibratory) is a big part of our program. One quarter of our patients have previously tried buzzer alarms without success. But when they use it in combination with other techniques, they do well. We also go over how the children can practice waking up with the buzzer with Mom or Dad there (before going to sleep). Finally, we stress that it takes weeks to months to show effects from these techniques and that everyone must be patient. The most common mistake is to do a program for one to two weeks and then give up." As difficult as it might be, it’s important for parents to be supportive of a child with enuresis. The long-term outlook is excellent, and a child needs to understand this and not focus excessively on the sleep-wetting. In almost all cases, dry days are just ahead.
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