Nocturnal enuresis
Bedwetting is usually only regarded as a medical issue in children aged five or older who wet the bed at least twice a week.
Frequent bedwetting in children under the age of five isn't usually a cause for concern, unless the child is upset by it.
Bedwetting is sometimes classified into two types depending on when the problem develops. These are:
In some cases, a child has additional symptoms related to their bedwetting, such as:
The medical name for this type of bedwetting is polysymptomatic enuresis. Bedwetting without additional symptoms is known as monosymptomatic enuresis.
See a GP if:
Aside from the physical effects, such as skin irritation, bedwetting can have a significant adverse impact on a child's self esteem and self confidence. You should seek medical help if you suspect this is the case.
If your child has additional symptoms or bedwetting that develops suddenly, they may have an underlying health problem such as type 1 diabetes or a urinary tract infection (usually a bacterial infection of the urinary tract), which requires treatment.
Bedwetting can be worrying and frustrating, but it's common for children to accidentally wet the bed during the night. The problem usually resolves in time.
Bedwetting is usually only regarded as a medical issue when it occurs in children who are five years old or older and who wet the bed at least twice a week.
Bedwetting is not your child's fault and there's often no obvious reason why it happens. In many cases, the problem runs in families.
It's likely your GP will ask you or your child about their bedwetting in order to check for any underlying cause and help determine the most effective treatment.
Although most children will stop wetting the bed as they get older, there are a number of treatments that can be tried.