Bed
wetting, which is also called nocturnal enuresis (NE), is the
involuntary passage of urine while asleep. Inherent in the
definition of NE is satisfactory bladder control while the child is
awake.
There are two types of bed wetting, Primary and Secondary:
- Primary enuresis - bed wetting since infancy; and
- Secondary enuresis - wetting developed after being continually
dry for a minimum of six months.
Primary NE is generally viewed as a delay in
neurological maturation. At 5 years of age approximately 20% of
children wet the bed at least once a month with about 5% of males
and 1% of females wetting nightly. By 6 years of age only about 10%
of children are bedwetters - the large majority being boys. The
percentage of all children who are bedwetters continues to diminish
by 50% each year after 5 years of age. A strong family history of
primary NE is well known. If one parent was a bed wetter, the
offspring have a 45% chance of a similar plight condition.
The fundamental problem faced by children with
primary NE rests in the inability while asleep to recognize
neuralgic messages sent by the full bladder to the sleep
arousal centers of the brain. In addition, bladder capacity is often
smaller in NE children than in their peers.
