Enuresis

The medical term for bed-wetting. In most cases, it occurs in children and affects boys slightly more commonly than girls. Usually, enuresis occurs as a result of slow maturation of nervous system functions concerned with bladder control. It may also result from psychological stress. In a small number of bed-wetters, there is a physical cause, such as a urinary tract infection. If a child wets the bed persistently, tests, including urinalysis, may be performed to rule out a physical cause. For bed-wetting that is not caused by a disorder, treatment starts with training the child to pass urine regularly during the day. Getting the child to go to the toilet just before bed may be helpful. Alarm systems are available that involve the placement of humidity-sensitive pads in the child’s bed. The child is woken by the alarm if urine is passed and eventually learns to wake before urinating.