Advice for parents of bedwetting children

Parents of children who wet at night must understand that they are not alone. Millions of children have the same problem. Your child is most likely not a bed wetter because of bad parenting or because of abnormal anatomy. Before starting a treatment plan, please remember that your child does not intend to wet the bed and under no circumstances should she be scolded or punished for doing so.

You should do everything in your power to comfort and support your child during this difficult time. If you do not, the problem may only get worse.

Many parents and physicians do not focus on bedwetting until the child is older and it becomes a social issue. This approach may be okay, but if you feel that your child is going to have problems later you may want to start treating the problem now.

Since we do not know why children wet at night, we have not been very successful in curing or alleviating bedwetting. Like many other problems in medicine, bedwetting is a “medical” condition that may require a lifestyle change. Be prepared to make these changes and educate yourself about all of the possible causes of bedwetting, so you can tailor your treatment to achieve the best results.

- Dr. D. Preston Smith

Dr. Smith is board certified and he has authored or co-authored many articles, papers, chapters, and books in Urology and Pediatric Urology. His research has been presented throughout the world. Dr. Smith's dedication to helping children with urologic problems inspired him to establish PottyMD.