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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffBed-wetting is involuntary urination while asleep.
Most kids are fully toilet trained by age 4, but there's really no target date for developing complete bladder control. By age 5, bed-wetting remains a problem for only about 15 percent of children. Between 8 and 11 years of age, fewer than 5 percent of youngsters are still wetting the bed.
When to see a doctor
Most children outgrow bed-wetting on their own — but some need a little help. In other cases, bed-wetting may be a sign of an underlying condition that needs medical attention.
Consult your child's doctor if:
- Your child still wets the bed after age 6 or 7
- Your child starts to wet the bed after a period of being dry at night
- The bed-wetting is accompanied by painful urination, unusual thirst, pink urine or snoring
References
- Urinary incontinence in children. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uichildren. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- Gonzales Jr. ET, et al. Management of nocturnal enuresis in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- Bedwetting: Information for parents - Questions kids ask. National Kidney Foundation. http://www.kidney.org/patients/bw/BW_faq.cfm?id=par. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- Brown ML, et al. Treatment of primary nocturnal enuresis in children: A review. Child: Care, Health and Development. 2011;37:153.
- Robson WL. Evaluation and management of enuresis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:1429.
- Tu NW, et al. Management of nocturnal enuresis in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- Shreeram S, et al. Prevalence of enuresis and its association with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among U.S. children: Results from a nationally representative study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2009;48:35.
- Bower WF, et al. Acupuncture as a treatment for nocturnal enuresis. Autonomic Neuroscience. 2010;157:63.
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