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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffBed-wetting is characterized by involuntary urination at night.
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 bed-wetting.
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 indicate an underlying condition that needs medical attention.
Consult your child's doctor if:
- Your child still wets the bed after age 5 or 6
- 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
- Urinary incontinence in children. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/uichildren. Accessed Aug. 18, 2009.
- Gonzales Jr. ET, et al. Approach to the child with nocturnal enuresis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 18, 2009.
- Robson WL. Evaluation and management of enuresis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:1429.
- 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.
- AAP Parenting Corner Q&A: Bedwetting. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_BedWetting.htm. Accessed Aug. 18, 2009.
- Cutting DA, et al. Nocturnal enuresis: Application of evidence-based medicine in community practice. Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health. 2007;43:167.
- Bedwetting: Information for parents: Questions kids ask. National Kidney Foundation. http://www.kidney.org/patients/bw/BW_faq.cfm?id=par. Accessed Aug. 18, 2009.
- Tu NW, et al. Management of nocturnal enuresis in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 18, 2009.
- Culbert TP, et al. Wetting the bed: Integrative approaches to nocturnal enuresis. Explore. 2008;4:215.
