About bedwetting

Almost as common as asthma in children

• Bedwetting into late childhood is more common than you might think. Nearly 10% of 5- to 15-year-olds wet the bed to some extent.
• In Belgium, more than 150,000 children are affected.
• Most cases involve children under 8 years old. In your development, this is just a stage to go through, and it's important to remember that nighttime dryness is usually the last thing achieved.

Yes, bedwetting is a family affair.

Do you know what enuresis is?

Enuresis and bedwetting are the same thing: involuntary urination after the age when bladder control should be established. It's only considered a problem from the age of 5, because you're not expected to be dry at night before then.

70% of children stop wetting the bed before the age of 7. Be patient, your turn will come .

The stress and embarrassment associated with bedwetting can make the situation seem worse than it actually is. Some parents are impatient to get this "problem" over with, but they'll achieve better results by being patient, encouraging, and letting you become potty-trained at your own pace.

Two types of enuresis

There are two types of enuresis, which we will explain to you:

• Primary enuresis , a medical term used if you have never been dry at night, is the most common type. It generally depends on physical maturity and affects children who have not yet learned to recognize the sensation of a full bladder when they are asleep.

• Secondary enuresis refers to bedwetting that starts again after a long period of dryness. This can be a consequence of emotions related to starting school, or to family problems, although sometimes there is no explanation at all.

More common in boys than in girls