Bedwetting hits half-million children

One in 11 nine-year-olds are affected

The plight of the half a million children who wet the bed could be eased by a nurse-run helpline.

Even though the condition is so common, many children and their families are embarrassed, and fail to seek help.

Children who wet the bed have been shown to have lower self-esteem than their peers, and to feel "different" to their friends because of their problem.

Families can be intolerant of the problem, because of the extra workload caused by the soiling of bedclothes and bedding, and the smell.

There is still a terrible taboo

Helena Baker,
Bedwetting Education

But if parents punish the child and the bedwetting becomes an issue, a vicious circle can be created, making the problem worse.

The nurse manning the Bedwetting Education helpline told BBC News Online that bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, only clears up without treatment in around 15% of cases.

Urology nurse Helena Baker, who works at St Bart's Hospital, and who has around 10 years experience in treating enuresis is expecting to receive an average of around 10 calls a week on the helpline.

But she said: "There is still a terrible taboo around the subject and people still do not come forward and seek treatment, either through ignorance or because they're embarrassed."

'Involuntary discharge'

Bedwetting is the "involuntary discharge of urine" at night.

It affects half a million children aged between five and 11 across the UK, and affects one in six five-year-olds, one in seven seven-year-olds and one in 11 nine-year-olds.

Older children can also be affected, and daytime enuresis can also be a problem.

Bedwetting can be a hereditary condition, and a child's problem can bring back embarrassing memories for a parent, making the bedwetting harder to deal with.

It can also be caused by stress, which can trigger the problem, though the enuresis can continue after the stressful event has passed.

The problem can also have a physical cause, including an unstable bladder which empties before it is full, or hormonal problems.

One treatment which can help is a buzzer system which goes off whenever the wearer starts to urinate, waking them up and reminding them to go to the toilet.

A drug called Desmopressin can also be given. It works by reducing the amount of urine produced overnight.

And for occasions when the child has to be away from home and is worried about wetting the bed, DryNites absorbent pants can be used as a temporary solution.

The pants are made by Kimberly-Clark, which is backing the new helpline.

A course of treatment for bedwetting takes between four and six months to eradicate the problem.

Tips for helping children who wet the bed include leaving a light on in case children are frightened of going to the bathroom in the dark, and ensuring children do not drink too much at night and go to bed with a full bladder.

Guilt

Jessica Holden, nine, has wet the bed since the age of six. Her father Peter, who also wet the bed as a child, says his daughter is a normal little girl, a member of the Brownie Guides and keen on music and fashion.

Jessica's condition has been made worse by stress accompanying her parents divorce. But the family cope with the situation by using the DryNite pants. Mr Holden said his daughter feels great pride when she has a "dry" night.

He said that as a child, he was made to feel guilty if he wet the bed. "It was absolutely awful, and I was made to feel guilty all the time which just led to me feeling inadequate and ridiculed.

"I am determined not to treat Jessica in the same way and I do my best to provide her with the utmost care and understanding."

Lizzie Chambers, information and fund-raising officer for the UK Enuresis Resource and Information Centre (ERIC) said: "Children and their families should not be embarrassed, and should feel comfortable seeking help from their family doctors, who see around half a dozen cases a week."

She said ERIC wanted to see more research done into the causes of bedwetting.

"Our prime aim is to reduce the incidence of bedwetting so less children are affected by it."

Bedwetting Education can be contacted on 0800 085 8189. ERIC's helpline can be reached on 0117 960 3060