What should I do if my 5-year-old child wets the bed?

Strictly speaking, bedwetting is not a disease. Generally speaking, as age increases, normal children\’s nighttime urine output will gradually decrease, and the nervous system\’s control of the bladder will gradually mature. By the age of 5, 15% to 20% of children will wet the bed; by the age of 7, only 10% will wet the bed; by the age of 10, only 5% will wet the bed, with more boys than girls. However, not all children who wet the bed will recover on their own, and 1% of adults still have bedwetting by the age of 20. Causes of Bedwetting So far, the causes of bedwetting are still not very clear. Bedwetting may be related to the following factors: 1. The central nervous system is immature. When the bladder is full of urine, normal children will notice and get up to go to the toilet. Children who wet the bed will not be awakened by the bulging sensation of the bladder, which leads to bedwetting. This may be related to factors such as excessive sleep, immature bladder control of urination, and changes in bladder volume, which usually disappear with age. 2. Inherited genes According to statistics, when one parent has bedwetting, the probability of a child wetting the bed is 47%. If both parents have a family history of bedwetting, the probability of the child wetting the bed is 77%. However, the true inheritance pattern is not clear. 3. Urinary or neurological diseases Urinary system diseases that cause bedwetting are mainly urinary tract infections. Bedwetting may also be caused by congenital urinary structural problems (such as posterior urethral valve obstruction or vesicoureteral reflux in boys). As for neurological diseases, it depends on whether the child has epilepsy, cerebral palsy or congenital myelomeningocele. These diseases not only cause bedwetting at night, but also often lead to urinary incontinence during the day. 4. Abnormal secretion of antidiuretic hormone. Normal children secrete more antidiuretic hormone at night. During sleep, the urine will be concentrated and the urine output decreases. However, in children who wet the bed, the secretion of antidiuretic hormone at night does not increase, so when the urine output is When the bladder capacity is exceeded, it may lead to bedwetting. 5. Psychological factors refer to children who wet the bed due to emotional problems. For example, the child thinks that the mother only cares about the newborn brother or sister and ignores him. If he feels unfavored and frustrated, he may use bedwetting to relieve the grievances and pressure in his subconscious after falling asleep. . My child often wets the bed, does he need treatment? It is generally recommended that children over 6 years old who wet the bed receive active treatment to avoid adverse psychosocial effects. Because 6-year-old children are already going to elementary school, bedwetting will not only make children and their families feel great anxiety, but also easily lead to children\’s inferiority complex, which will affect interpersonal interaction and personality development. Then the problem is not just about the bladder. How parents can help children who wet the bed 1. Doctors should be asked to diagnose and rule out diseases and other possible causes of secondary bedwetting. At the same time, parents should understand that children do not wet the bed intentionally, but because their organs are immature. Parents, children, and doctors should discuss the appropriate treatment together. 2. Limit fluid intake from dinner to before bed, especially caffeinated or diuretic drinks. Go to the toilet twice before going to bed to make sure you have emptied your urine. The toilet should be close to the bedroom, and a small light can be turned on to remind the child of the location of the toilet, or a urinal should be prepared in the bedroom to facilitate the child\’s use of the toilet at night. 3. In terms of behavior, teach children toI have trained my children to get up and go to the toilet on their own if they feel the need to pee in the middle of the night. In the early stage, parents can wake their children up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet. However, in order to prevent the children from becoming psychologically dependent, the waking time should be gradually lengthened every night. After a week, try not to wake the children again and let the children get up on their own. 4. Cultivate children\’s sense of responsibility. This is a necessary condition for treating bedwetting. Children must face up to this problem and understand that only they can solve it. Parents should not let older children wear diapers to sleep in order to avoid wetting the sheets. This can easily make children develop a dependence and be unwilling to get up to go to the toilet. Children who wet the bed should be involved in changing the sheets the next day to develop a sense of responsibility. 5. Don’t blame your children for bed-wetting. Instead, use encouragement instead of punishment, and pay attention to the child’s psychological problems.​