Infant enuresis: basic facts
Bed-wetting is a mild urine control disorder and there are several types. The primary is the most common and represents 95% of cases.
Children begin to learn to control their pee between the ages of three and five . It’s time to say goodbye to the diaper. However, not all of them achieve this by reaching this age and, in many cases, they wet the bed at night. This problem is known as infantile enuresis and affects 20% of the children of five years and older .
It is important to be clear that we are not talking about a disease as such, but simply an involuntary delay in the learning of toilet training , which can and should be treated following the pediatrician’s guidelines.
Although it is a mild disorder, which in many cases disappears with the passage of time, it is convenient to know its causes to avoid possible negative psychological consequences in the little ones who suffer from it. Next, we explain how to detect it, what to do and what are the possible treatments to tackle this problem.
Index
WHAT IS INFANTILE ENURESIS?
Infant enuresis is a disorder that causes the involuntary discharge of urine , usually during the night. It occurs in those children who at the age of 5 , when they should already wake up dry, continue to pee on the bed. Most children who wet the bed when they sleep are capable of toilet training during the day.
We must differentiate between three types of enuresis:
– Primary enuresis : it occurs when the little one who suffers from it has not learned to control urine. It affects children 5 years of age and older and is often linked to immaturity in night toilet training. This type is the most common and represents 95% of cases.
– Secondary enuresis : it occurs when the child wet the bed again after having been without leaks for a period of more than six months. Normally, this group usually requires psychological help.
– Complicated enuresis : it is also called enuretic syndrome and is more difficult to treat. It only represents 1% of enuretic patients, so it is much less common than monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis or primary enuresis, which we are going to focus on in this article.
MAIN STATISTICS OF CHILDHOOD ENURESIS
Infant enuresis is a fairly common problem that affects 20% of 5-year-olds , although as they grow older it can decrease by 10% each year. This disorder is more common in boys than in girls, and in the case of the former it is more difficult to cure.
It is important to know that in those families in which there are parents who once suffered from enuresis, the probability that their children will also develop it is quite high. If one of the parents had this disorder in childhood , your child will have a 45% chance of suffering from it as well. This percentage rises to 80% when both parents were enuretic.
In some situations, children with bedwetting may pee multiple times in the same night . If this is the case with your child , try to remember that this problem does not depend on the child’s will, but rather an involuntary lack of toilet training, so you should avoid scolding him.
Finally, another interesting fact that you should know is that within the cases of infantile urinary incontinence, only 1% or 2% are linked to organic factors .
WHY DOES INFANTILE ENURESIS OCCUR?
Before analyzing the causes, it should be clarified that this type of nocturnal infantile enuresis is not a disease as such, but a slight disorder in urine control.
Infant enuresis can be caused by multiple factors, although the main one is due to a simple delay in the ability of children to control their sphincters . Sometimes the mechanisms responsible for controlling pee at night take a little longer than normal to develop, and in many cases the problem disappears over time.
The hereditary factor is another cause that can cause your child to wet the bed. As we have already said, in those families in which the parents suffered from this problem, there is a greater chance that the child will also develop it. According to several studies, this may be due to certain genetic alterations.
The deep sleep also plays an important role because it can prevent children from receiving the notice of “full bladder” while they sleep. This is one of the most common causes among children who wet the bed at night.
Finally, there are neurological factors and critical emotional situations for the child, such as the birth of a new baby brother, a change of school or address, etc.
HOW TO DIAGNOSE INFANTILE ENURESIS
The diagnosis of infantile enuresis is relatively straightforward. If your child is over 5 years old and he wets the bed at night, he may suffer from enuresis, so you should consult his pediatrician . Although in most cases this problem disappears with the passage of time, we must pay special attention to the evolution of the child and consult the doctor.
In the first place, the doctor will study the child’s case to know what type of enuresis he has, assess its severity and know the attitude of the child and the parents. Based on the results obtained, a physical examination will be performed . They will also likely order a urinalysis and abdominal ultrasound to rule out physical factors. In some cases, the pediatrician may request a series of more specific studies to further analyze the functioning of the urinary tract. However, unless there are signs of a more serious problem, the initial physical examination will suffice.
Although it is a relatively mild problem, it should not be ignored for two reasons: first, bed-wetting may be the first manifestation of a more serious problem ; and the second is that it can cause negative psychological effects in the child who suffers from it.
CURE AND TREATMENT
Despite the fact that in a large number of cases childhood enuresis disappears spontaneously, with the passage of time, there are several therapeutic options to treat this disorder. The ultimate goal of treatment is to ensure that the child acquires the appropriate guidelines to control the toilet bowl both during the day and at night, in addition to advising the parents regarding the behavior they should adopt when faced with this problem.
One of the most effective methods is the “alarm method” , which consists of putting on a diaper-like device. This mechanism, known as “pee-stop” , is sensitive to humidity and emits an intense sound when it detects the first drops of urine, causing the child to wake up. In this way, the little one will begin to associate the body signals with the action of waking up.
Second is “voluntary retention training” , which is based on exercising the sphincter muscles that control urine retention, and finally, ” dry bed training” . This last method consists of teaching the child a series of guidelines to acquire the habit of holding, waking up and getting out of bed.
Controlled fluid over-intake , that is, giving the child a higher amount than normal to drink can also be effective . This will cause you to need to go to the bathroom more often, thus speeding up toilet training.
In the treatment of enuresis, the attitude of the parents towards the problem is essential . Reproaches and punishments should be avoided, as well as rewarding small advances. If done following the doctor’s guidelines, treatment can be very fast and effective.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.