Bedwetting (Nocturnal Enuresis)

Bedwetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, is an uncontrollable leakage of urine from the bladder while asleep. 1

For children aged five years and older, bedwetting is abnormal and should not be considered a trivial condition. 2,3,4

Bedwetting is common; with approximately 5–10% of 7 year-olds regularly wetting their beds.5

Bedwetting can and should be treated6, but despite this, nearly half of parents do not seek help, as many believe that their child will eventually outgrow the problem.7

In fact, if left untreated bedwetting will not necessarily go away by itself and can persist for life, with approximately 1 in 100 people continuing to wet the bed into adulthood.8

Bedwetting can have a serious effect on the quality of life of children and their families9

Bedwetting can be very distressing for children, however, the impact is often underestimated and trivialized by parents and doctors.9

Children may suffer from feelings of low self-esteem at an age when image is extremely important for optimal personal development.10,11

Bedwetting is also associated with reduced day time functioning, including school and social performance.2,3,4,10,11

More than half of parents do not allow their children to spend time away from home, so they often miss out on social activities such as sleepovers at friends’ houses and school trips.12

A lack of understanding can also cause parents to be frustrated and this contributes to the child’s sense of failure and shame; reinforcing the social stigma surrounding bedwetting.13,14

Aside from the social and emotional stress, there is also a recognized economic burden on families.15 Bedwetting creates additional work for families in the form of increased household duties and so results in often substantial financial costs.16

Successfully treating bedwetting removes the burden placed on both the child and family.

The causes of bedwetting

A frequent misconception of bedwetting is that the cause is psychological; however extensive research suggests that this is not the case.2,3,4

Bedwetting is often caused by over-production of urine at night or reduced capacity of the bladder.

An inability to wake up to the signals from a full bladder is common for all bedwetting children.2,3,4

There are also likely to be genetic factors, with nearly two thirds of children who wet the bed having one or both parents with a history of the condition.17

World Bedwetting Day raises awareness of the condition so that children and families can get the help they deserve

The International Children’s Continence Society (ICCS) and the European Society of Pediatric Urologists (ESPU) have launched World Bedwetting Day to raise awareness among the public and healthcare professionals that bedwetting is a common medical condition that can and should be treated.6

World Bedwetting Day 2015’s slogan is ‘Time to Take Action’, in recognition that much more can be done to diagnose and treat children who suffer from bedwetting.

The aim of World Bedwetting Day is to encourage children and their families to discuss the condition with their healthcare professional without embarrassment or guilt.

Children who wet the bed tend to feel a sense of shame,18,19 and it is hoped that increased public awareness will urge more families the get the help that they need.

World Bedwetting Day is initiated by a working group consisting of the ICCS and ESPU, and from 2016 onwards, will take place every year in May.