The medical name for bedwetting is enuresis - "the involuntary voiding of urine beyond the age of anticipated control" - and it's a common condition in children. It's also a very stressful one for parents and children alike. For the child wetting the bed, it's often a major embarrassment. For parents, there may be a mixture of annoyance and sometimes a little anger. They wonder if bedwetting is done on purpose or because of laziness.

Who's Affected?
Enuresis affects up to 40% of 3-year-olds, 20% of 5- to 6-year-olds, and only 1% of  adolescents and adults.

Most children with enuresis are physically and emotionally normal. While some may have small bladders, this should not keep them from achieving dryness.

Simple sleep-wetting in children younger than 6 is so common that it doesn't warrant a special treatment program.

Enuresis often runs in families - about 85% of children with enuresis have a relative with the enuresis, and around half of them have a parent or sibling with the condition.

Types of Enuresis
Most children have "primary" enuresis, meaning that they have wet their beds since toddlerhood. Enuresis has nothing to do with how a child was taught to use the toilet. Parents should not feel guilty or think they did something wrong.

Some children have "secondary" enuresis, meaning they were dry for at least a few months and then became wet. Although some medical problems, such as urinary tract infections or diabetes, and some family stressors, such as divorce or school problems, may play a role in secondary enuresis, often no specific reason is identified.

Most children with enuresis have nocturnal (or nighttime) enuresis. They wet while asleep. Occasionally some children wet during the day while awake (diurnal enuresis). They may have an unstable bladder, which is associated with frequent urination and urinary tract infections. These children may also be seen by pediatric urologists and occasionally use medication for a few months to relax the bladder muscle.

Constipation is associated with enuresis, sometimes with underwear soiling (encopresis) in severe cases. Usually, simple dietary changes can cure mild constipation, but in severe cases constipation may require aggressive treatment before the enuresis can be addressed.

Primary enuresis can also be associated with other disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and sickle cell anemia/trait.

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