Dr Catherine
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Girl
8-15 years

Good afternoon doctor I have recently got into a relationship, her son is a bed wetter and has been since he was little,he also rocks in bed,i would like to find out how to help him,his father seems to bury his head in the sand,but as a man I can see how much this is affecting his confidence

Hi Andrew, how we manage and support children throughout the bedwetting process is really important, so it is great that you are trying to find out more about his situation in order to support both him and your partner. The three most common causes of bedwetting include (1) an overproduction of urine overnight – children who have low-levels of ADH (antidiuretic hormone) produce four times the amount of urine as those who have the hormone and are therefore at a greater likelihood of exceeding their bladder capacity overnight (and explains why her bladder seems to keep filling). If this is the cause children generally stop wetting their bed when their ADH levels return to normal; (2) Difficulty arousing from sleep in response to a full-bladder – these children are unable to detect the signals sent from their bladder to their brain telling it it is full and needs emptying. These children will stop wetting when their body matures to a point where they can wake-up in response to their full bladder; and (3) a genetic disposition – children who wet the bed are more likely to have a family member who also wet the bed as a child. The cause of a child’s bedwetting will often inform how best to progress when it comes to treatment. In order to move forward, you really need to speak to your partner about making an appointment with their family doctor. There are some great treatment options available (you can read an over of these on the DryNites website) however their success depends on adequate medical support. All the best! Regards, Dr Cathrine