TREATMENT
METHODS
Dr. Bhatt recommends
that a child with
this problem should
stop caffeine use and
wherever possible,
restrict fluids in
evening/night. “The
bedwetting alarm
and self-awakening
programs are reserved
for children who
fail to improve by
adopting various
home strategies,” he
says while devices and
treatments that can
be used at home vary
in their effectiveness.
Treatments can be used
alone or in combination
and may include a
moisture alarm, which
is worn on the body and
makes a sound when
urine first touches the
child’s underclothing.
The child is encouraged
to try to ‘beat the
buzzer.’ Moisture alarms
are the most successful
treatment for bedwetting, especially in
children age 10 and
older.
system problems,” he explains while
other factors include diet, dairy
products, citrus fruits, chocolate,
and foods containing high levels of
artificial color and sweetener have
been connected with bedwetting.
Dr. Bhatt says that a psychological
cause also plays a part in bedwetting.
Various causes are parental marital
discord, child neglect, fear or
phobias, conflicts at home and
school, arrival of a new baby, loss of
a pet, and child insecurity. However,
some children who wet the bed tend
to be less mature and self-reliant than
those who do.
THERAPY
Motivational therapy involves
parents encouraging and reinforcing
a child’s sense of control over
bed-wetting. Parents repeatedly
tell their child that he or she can
master bed-wetting, and they work
with the child to design a reward
system that will encourage and
motivate the child to stay dry. This
treatment works best for children
who are eager to participate, have
responsible parents, and have a
good relationship with their health
professional.
SELF-TRAINING
Self-awakening training is a method
of helping a child awake from sleep,
which involves having the child
practice getting out of bed to go to
the bathroom. This works well when
both the parents and the child are
motivated, and usually this is more
likely with children older than age six.
DRY BED TRAINING
Dry-bed training consists of following
a strict schedule for waking the child
up at night until he or she learns to
wake up alone when needed. The drybed training program is implemented
over seven nights. After training is
complete, the steps are repeated if the
child wets the bed three nights in a
row. H
TIPS FOR A DRY NIGHT
Make sure your child
visits the toilet just before
going to bed. Parents
sometimes lift a sleeping
child to the toilet before
they themselves go to
bed. However, this may
encourage a child to wet the
bed because their bladder
does not feel full before
they pass urine.
Make sure your child doesn’t
have a drink within two to
three hours of bedtime.
However, limiting a child’s
fluid intake during the day
will not help to develop
bladder control. Children
should be encouraged
to drink seven to eight
cups of fluid, spaced out
throughout the day.
Make it easy for your child
to reach the toilet - perhaps
leave a light on.
Encourage your child to
return to his/her own bed
after it has been changed.
Record wet and dry nights
and reward dry nights using
star charts.
Mar/Apr 2016
63