Bed Wetting Questions Answered

Earlier this week we talked about kids and bed wetting and you had some questions about a drug used to stop kids from wetting the bed at night.

"I also would like to know more about the med Desmopressin. Can you get it over the counter or is it a prescribed med? Is it safe?"

Pediatric Urologist Dr. Benjamin Rhee said, "I try it in kids who have already tried everything else. We use it on kids after checking daytime issues, constipation issues and other medical issues." Dr. Rhee said he usually prescribes Desmopressin to older kids because that is when wetting the bed becomes a social issue.

Rhee said, "It is safe to use on little kids, but I don't like to use it until they are older." He said when taking Desmopressin, you can't take in a lot of fluids. "If the child is too young, they may not understand that and it could cause problems. 8-9 years old is when they tend to understand. Desmopressin is an anti-diaretic hormone-so the person doesn't make as much urine. If you take the medication and take in too much water, you will have too much water in the body."

Desmopressin comes in a nasal spray or a pill and is taken before bedtime. There are no major side effects with it besides that they have to cut back on water intake.
Dr. Rhee said, "With Desmopressin, we give it for 6 months and then stop and see if they wet again. If they do, they go on it for 6 months more months. Some parents will only use it on weeks when there is something special going on like a camp or slumber party."

What about the bed wetting alarms? Do they work? Dr. Rhee said studies are showing if the alarm system works, it works for the longest amount of time. "But it doesn't work as well because it tends to wake everyone else in the house, but the child," said Rhee. He said kids who wet the bed are usually heavy sleepers.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Potty Training and Bed Wetting

At what age are kids typically potty trained?

Boys: 39 months
Girls: 36 months

Here's a question on potty training I got from a reader:

"Hi Jen,Thanks for this great blog. I was wondering if you could find out if it is normal for my newly turned 5 year old to still occassionally wet her pants. In addition, she still needs to be diapered at night. It seems that she has no nocturnal bladder control whatsoever because her diaper is soaked every morning. My son was completely diaper free by this age. Should I be concerned? Perhaps I should mention that when she was a baby she had frequent bladder infections, but reflux was ruled out. Thank you for any light you can shed on my concerns."

Peoria Pediatrician Dr. Channing Petrak said what this little girl is going through is normal. She said, "Of 5-year-olds, one in five wet the bed every night. So, it is an extremely common thing at this age. Typically, if it's just bed wetting at night I wouldn't consider it a problem at age 5."

Dr. Petrak says if the child reaches age 7 and is still wetting the bed at night, that would most likely signify a problem. She said, "Typically at age 5 it's that they have small bladders, they're neurologically mature, heavy sleepers. So, it's not really considered a problem at that age."

She said daytime wetting in a child who was previously potty trained is a problem. She said that would be a time to look for signs of a bladder infection and other medical issues. Dr. Petrak said if a medical problem like urinary reflux has been ruled out, getting the child in a habit of going to the bathroom every two hours is important. She said, "You have to encourage them to go regularly and make sure they sit in a relaxed position and empty all of their bladder."

Baby Center asks these questions for older kids who still wet the bed:

What to watch out for:If your child "dribbles" urine constantly, strains while she pees, or complains of burning or pain when she goes, she may have an infection or other health problem. If that's the case, call her pediatrician as soon as possible. You should also talk with her doctor if her urine is cloudy or pink, or if she has any redness or a rash in her genital area. These guidelines apply to both girls and boys.

It's very common for toilet-trained 2-year-olds to still wet their bed at night. Occasional nighttime wetting — sometimes as often as twice a week — is perfectly normal at least six months to a year after successful daytime toilet training is completed. If your child consistently wets the bed at night, she may have a small bladder or may not yet have developed the ability to wake up in response to a full bladder, but this problem will probably pass as she gets older.

What you can do: In most cases, the best way to handle this predicament is to treat it as something natural and unimportant. Above all, try not to put pressure on your child and don't punish her. Staying dry all night is a developmental skill that almost all children achieve in time, whether by sleeping through the night without wetting or by getting up to use the bathroom. While you're waiting for your child to outgrow bed-wetting, ensure that her mattress is adequately protected by a plastic sheet, encourage her to wear absorbent undergarments such as extra-thick cloth or disposable training pants, and urge her to get up as soon as she realizes she's damp. If she does wet herself, make sure you change both her bedding and her pajamas so her skin won't get irritated and she'll get used to sleeping in dry pj's.

What's ahead:Typically, children who wet the bed more than once a night will start to outgrow it by wetting the bed fewer times each night. They then move on to wetting fewer nights each week, with fluctuations back and forth, until they eventually outgrow bed-wetting altogether. You'll want to steel yourself for the long haul, though: At this age(2 years) , the entire process can take a couple of years.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen