Bed Wetting 1

Bed wetting is a common problem in children all over the world. However, the disorder is not life threatening and most children over come the problem with time. Bed wetting is not considered a problem until the child reaches the age of 5. To make a diagnosis of nocturnal enuresis or bed wetting, the child must have reached the age of 5/6 and have at least two or more bed wetting episodes every 4 weeks.

While the exact number of individuals with this problem is not known, it is estimated that close to 20-25 percent of children wet the bed at least once a month. As the child matures, the numbers do decline.

By the age of 12, about 8-10 percent of boys remain enuretic and only about 4% of girls have the same problem. After puberty, it is estimated that about 1-3 percent of teenagers or young adults continue to wet the bed.

Despite a long history, the cause of nocturnal enuresis remains elusive and is believed to be multifactorial. While no definite genetic link has been identified, the incidence is much greater in families where one or both parents had the problem.

Factors such as stress, family life, social background or economic situation have not found to have any association with nocturnal enuresis.