What causes bedwetting?
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What causes bedwetting?
In most children there is no specific cause. Factors that may contribute in some children include:
- Parents may have false expectations. Some children just develop later in the bladder area than others. This is normal and is not related to intelligence, or to other developmental problems. Although it is convenient to be dry at age three, the bladder may not be ready for another few years.
- A small bladder capacity is one theory. Some children with bedwetting go to the toilet more often than average during the day. They tend not to be able to 'hold on', and have more 'overactive' bladders. If this is a cause, it usually improves as the child gets older.
- A slight hormone imbalance is another theory. Children with a bedwetting problem may not make as much hormone called ADH (anti-diuretic hormone) at night as non-bedwetting children. This hormone reduces the amount of urine that you make. With less ADH, you tend to make more urine. If this is a factor, it tends to improve as the child gets older.
- Bladder awareness at night. A child with a bedwetting problem may also be less aware of a full bladder, and not wake up so easily to go to the toilet when their bladder is full. Again, if this is a factor, it tends to improve as the child gets older.
- Genetic factors. Bedwetting often runs in families. About 1 in 7 children who are late in being dry have a parent, brother, or sister who also had this problem in childhood.
Some things are thought to make bedwetting worse or more likely. They may 'tip the balance' in some children on some nights. These include the following:
- Times of stress may start up bedwetting again after a period of dryness. For example: starting school, arrival of a new baby, illness, moving house, bullying, abuse, etc.
- Drinks and foods that contain caffeine. These include tea, coffee, cola, and chocolate. Caffeine increases the amount of urine made by the kidneys (it is a 'diuretic').
- Constipation. Large stools (faeces) in the rectum may press on and irritate the back of the bladder. In particular, children who have chronic (persistent) constipation are more likely to have a bedwetting problem. One study found that 1 in 3 children with chronic constipation had a bedwetting problem.
- Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have an increased risk of having a bedwetting problem.
Other 'medical' causes of bedwetting are rare. For example: a urine infection, sleep apnoea due to an obstructed airway, diabetes, and rare disorders of the bladder may cause bedwetting. A 'medical' cause is more likely if daytime wetting occurs in addition to bedwetting. A doctor can usually rule out these causes by examining the child and testing a urine sample. Occasionally, more tests are done in children who have daytime wetting to check for rare bladder problems.
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ruth sword, over 2 years
what nappies or pull ups do you recommend for a very heavy bedwetting 10year old boy.
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