Getting the bedwetting facts can be a big help–not to mention a bit of a relief. Just knowing that one out of every nine kids does it and that it doesn't go on forever, can go a long way in putting a little perspective on things.
- Five to seven million kids in the United States wet the bed.
- 20% of 4- to 12-year-olds wet the bed.
- Bedwetting is more common among boys than girls–about 2/3 of kids who wet the bed are boys.
- 72% of kids who wet the bed will outgrow it by the time they're 11–99% by age 15.
Doctors call it enuresis ("en-you-REE-sis"). If your child hasn't been dry at night for longer than six months, that's considered primary enuresis.
If your child did have dry nights and then began to wet again, that's called secondary enuresis. Most kids who wet the bed (about 80%) are dealing with primary enuresis.
There are several things that can cause bedwetting, including heredity. Some kids wet the bed simply because their bladder hasn't grown as fast as the rest of their body and everything just needs to catch up. Others might not be producing enough of an important hormone (ADH) at night. And some are going through a stage where they just sleep too soundly.
The most important thing to remember is that kids DON'T wet the bed because they're lazy. No one wets the bed on purpose. It's simply a condition that requires patience and understanding until a child outgrows it.
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