Bedwetting
Bedwetting
Bedwetting, often known as enuresis, occurs when your bladder involuntarily empties when you are asleep. This may occur every night, or only once in a while. Children can have problems with bedwetting alone, or they may have problems with daytime wetting as well.
Most children have gained night-time bladder control by the age of five, BUT about 20% of Australian children still wet the bed after this age. Bedwetting is a common condition, which affects all cultures and has been recognised for centuries. Bedwetting can run in families and tends to be more common in boys than girls.
It is true that many children will stop wetting in their own time and without help. However, in some cases, assessment and treatment are recommended.
These include:
- If your child has previously been dry at night and then suddenly starts to wet at night, or
- Your child is wetting frequently after the age of eight, or
- The wetting is making your child become upset or angry, or
- Your child wants to become dry
Daisy was in Grade 1 and wanted to go to a sleepover at her friend’s house, but was embarrassed about still wearing pull ups at night. Daisy’s parents were eager to help her, but felt confused by conflicting advice, and by being told to just wait until ‘she grows out of it’.
What Causes Bedwetting?
Bedwetting is not caused by laziness or naughty behaviour. And although some illnesses are linked to bedwetting, most children who wet the bed do not have major health concerns.
Most bedwetting is often caused by a combination of three factors:
- Bladder – when the child’s bladder is only able to store a small amount of urine at night
- Kidneys – when the child’s kidneys make a large amount of urine during the night
- Sleep – when a deep sleeper is unable to fully wake to receive the message that their bladder is full
How can Mars Clinic help?
At Mars Clinic, we help parents by providing professional advice, tailored to your child’s specific problem. We offer:
- Objective assessment of the problem and its potential causes
- Information that you can trust
- Strategies that suit your family life
- Adaptable solutions to help you through the whole journey
- Non-judgmental advice
- Support, validation and reassurance
At age 10, Henry’s family were still trying to help him achieve dry nights. They tried an alarm when he was young – it was exhausting and woke everyone except Henry. They had ultrasound scans that showed nothing abnormal. They had seen their GP and specialists, and had tried medications. They felt frustrated that they still had no answers. They were worried and anxious for Henry, wanting him to enjoy the same things as other kids – like going to school camp and sleepovers with confidence.
What makes us different?
Mars Clinic is recognised as the Australian leader in the treatment of incontinence for children and adolescents.
- Australia’s largest team of trained professionals
- Internationally recognised as Best Children’s Bladder Control & Treatment Specialists 2020 – Australia
With our non-invasive, cutting-edge technologies, we are able to provide advanced diagnostic and treatment services at our in-person clinics. These include:
- Scans and measurements, using diagnostic ultrasound and uroflowmetry, to determine how well the bladder and bowel hold and empty
- Muscle activity measurement, using urodynamics and EMG biofeedback, to test how well pelvic muscles coordinate during toileting
- TENS treatment to help children learn to feel and recognise bladder and bowel sensations
- Specialised biofeedback treatment, based on video games, to help children learn correct pelvic muscle control
Come into our local clinics, or Online anywhere
UQ Health Care – Annerley
Level 4, PACE Building (street level) 20 Cornwall Street
WOOLLOONGABBA QLD 4102
P. 07 3346 1768
F. 07 3392 2611
annerley@marsclinic.com.au
Woolworths Brookwater Village
Mater Health Centre
16/2 Tournament Drive
BROOKWATER QLD 4300
P. 07 3199 3211
F. 07 3199 3220
brookwater@marsclinic.com.au
Mater Medical Centre
Suite 40, Level 7
293 Vulture Street
SOUTH BRISBANE QLD 4101
P. +617 3163 1188
F. +617 3163 1192
E. mail@marsclinic.com.au
A team you can trust
We are very proud of our large team of Mars Clinic professionals.
- Registered physiotherapists
- Additional training in pelvic health (adults and children)
- Completed our Advanced Practice Mars Clinic Training Program
- Completed assessment competencies in Functional Ultrasound, EMG Biofeedback, use of TENS Modulation therapy
- Attend our regular ongoing Mars Clinic training, including education meetings with Paediatric Specialists
