Enuresis is the intentional or involuntary voiding of urine into clothes or other inappropriate places by a child who is at least 5 years old. To meet the criteria for enuresis, the involuntary or intentional voiding must occur at least twice a week or more for three months.
In most children with enuresis, there is no abnormality in the urinary tract, nor any other physical disorder.
Primary enuresis occurs when bladder control has never been achieved.
Secondary enuresis occurs when bladder control has been achieved for at least one year but has then been lost.
Enuresis may occur only at night, only in the day, or during both day and night.
A child with enuresis urinates into clothing or other inappropriate places. The urination may be accidental or intentional. Nighttime enuresis is the most common.
Causes of enuresis are usually psychosocial and physiologic. Children with enuresis often have other developmental delays. They tend to have smaller bladders and a higher likelihood of a learning disability. A link between enuresis and a sleep disorder may be involved, but there is no clear proof of this.
Genetics may also play a role in the development of enuresis. Having one enuretic parent increases the chance of the child having enuresis by 45%. If both parents are enuretic, the risk increases to 75%. About twice as many males as females are enuretic.
Some cases of enuresis are related to toilet training that was begun too early or was very forcible. Enuresis may be a temporary regression or an adjustment problem. Parents who are very controlling and quick to find fault may also trigger problems with bladder control.
Medical causes of enuresis include the following: bladder stonesconstipationdiabetes insipidusdiabetes mellitusepilepsylower urinary tract obstructionneurogenic bladder, which is a bladder with impaired nerve functionsleep apnea, which is a breathing disorder that occurs during sleepstressurinary tract infection
There is no way to prevent enuresis caused by problems with development or anatomy. Parenting problems can be addressed with family therapy. It is important to start toilet training only when the child is ready. When toilet training does begin, there should not be pressure on or criticism of the child. Helping children prepare for stressful events can help prevent enuretic episodes in response to stress. Bed alarms may help prevent enuresis.
The healthcare professional first needs to rule out the less common, but usually treatable, physical causes for enuresis. To do this, he or she will take a complete medical, developmental, and psychosocial history, and perform a thorough physical exam. These will help determine what factors may be contributing to the problem.
Depending on the results of the history and physical, the professional may then order a urinalysis, which is a urine test to check for infection or other abnormalities. More complex tests of the urinary tract may be done if any disorders are suspected.
If the enuresis is not treated, it may cause emotional and developmental problems for the child.
Enuresis is not contagious and poses no risk to others.
Treatment of enuresis falls into three categories. These are behavioral, medication, and counseling. Usually more than one treatment is used at a time.
Behavioral treatment includes: behavioral rewards for achieving bladder controlbladder training, such as bladder stretching exercises to gradually increase the size of the bladderconditioning methods, such as using a bedwetting alarm that awakens the child if the bed gets wetdecreasing evening fluidsteaching the child to attend and respond to bladder sensations at night
Medication is not the first treatment choice. It is often not used at all. Medication is used only when the problem interferes with the child's ability to function or only for special occasions.
Counseling alone is rarely effective. A behavioral treatment regime needs to be established. Managing family stress and tension is important.
Medications used to treat enuresis may cause allergic reactions. One drawback to medications is that the bedwetting typically returns when the medication is stopped.
Once the child has regained control over his urination, the problem is generally resolved. However, factors such as stress or another urinary tract infection may cause another episode of enuresis.
Any new or worsening symptoms should be reported to the healthcare professional.
