PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — "Nocturnal enuresis" — or nighttime bedwetting — at least twice weekly in children over five is a common problem and a potential source of embarrassment.
There are many reasons for it. Some children — so-called deep sleepers — can ignore or sleep through the urge. In these cases, a pediatrician might recommend an alarm, triggered by fluid, that wakes the child to use the bathroom. Medications like desmopressin can help.
Here are two key points: 14% of children improve each year without treatment, and a physician's assessment and evaluation can help rule out underlying causes.
It is also quite important to address the potential embarrassment as children get older.
KYW Newsradio's Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
