The Statistics on Bedwetting

Bedwetting, also called enuresis, is a disorder of urination control and not of urination itself.

Enuresis is both a symptom and a pathological condition. Nocturnal enuresis is considered "isolated" if it is not associated with daytime urinary disturbances. We distinguish between:

• Primary enuresis occurs when the disorder has not been preceded by a period of continence.
• Secondary enuresis is defined as enuresis if the disorder was preceded by a period of continence exceeding 6 months without any treatment. It is estimated that 80% of enuresis cases are primary enuresis.

The most common type of enuresis is primary nocturnal enuresis, which alone accounts for 60 to 85% of urinary incontinence in children. Boys are more affected by nocturnal enuresis than girls, with an estimated prevalence of between 6% and 10% by the age of 7. Its frequency decreases to between 1% and 2% in 15-year-olds.