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:

1. Primary enuresis - bed wetting since infancy; and
2. 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.