'The Voice' Crowns Its Winner
Mitch Kellaway: Father's Day as a Transgender Man
Bedwetting More Common in Boys Than Girls, Study Shows
Filed under: In The News, Potty Training, Development: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Development: Big Kids
Boys are twice as likely to wet the bed. Credit: Getty Images
But, if you've got a son in grade school, you might want to make sure the Spider-Man, Star Wars or shark sheet ensembles are waterproof.
Doctors don't know for sure what causes bedwetting -- or why it stops -- but new findings suggest boys are twice as likely to wet the bed, Reuters reports.
In a study of 6,147 children in Hong Kong, researchers from the Prince of Wales Hospital at the Chinese University of Hong Kong found seven out of 100 boys, and three out of 100 girls, ages 6 to 11 wet their beds, averaging out to five in 100 kids, according to the study published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
But wetting the bed is nothing to be embarrassed about and usually stops by age 15, Reuters reports.
In four out of 10 cases, bedwetting is hereditary, Dr. Joseph Barone, pediatric urologist at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., tells Reuters.
The reason boys wet the bed more often, he tells the news service, is because sometimes the link between the bladder and the brain is not fully developed. Girls mature faster, so they outgrow bedwetting faster, he adds.
Unsurprisingly, the researchers found bedwetting decreased with age. Nine out of 100 6-year-olds wet their beds, versus two out of 100 11-year-olds, according to Reuters.
Though there are no fool-proof cures for bedwetting, Barone recommends using an alarm that is connected to a sensor in a child's underwear, which goes off when it gets wet. These cost $50 to $150 and work 80 to 90 percent of the time, he tells Reuters.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using a bedwetting alarm if prescribed by the child's physician and says they tend to be most helpful for kids who have some dry nights and some bladder control on their own.
"Nothing else is going to cure bedwetting, other than outgrowing it," Barone tells Reuters.
Want to get the latest ParentDish news and advice? Sign up for our newsletter!
Your<span>Voice</span>
Ask Us Anything About Parenting
Recently Asked
- If i own all or most of the property in dc think the mayor already knows. president and others including Embassies. on my property for 20 +years
- D. hickman v. intel, microsoft et.al federal district court dc (bill gates deposition part 1 you tube?) are you a owner of a company?
- Federal reserve board of governors appointments ( understanding owning a tv image )
TheTalkies:RelatedVideos
-
How to Treat Bedwetting
Many families are already looking forward to their summer plans, but for parents with a child who wets the bed, the change of routine can also bring anxiety. Treatment for bedwetting must be individualized according to the type and severity of symptoms.
-
How to Help Your Child with Bed Wetting
“Nocturnal enuresis” may sound like a serious diagnosis, but it's not. It's actually the medical term for bedwetting, a common condition affecting millions of kids. While there's no quick cure for children who wet their beds, there are ways you can help
-
How to Treat Bedwetting
Summer sleep-away camps can be stressful for children with common medical conditions such as uncontrolled bed-wetting but this does not need to be the case. All accredited camps have systems in place so that a child's medical condition does not become public knowledge.
-
Stepmom Admits Witholding Water From Boy For Five Days
A Texas couple is facing charges after a 10-year-old boy died from dehydration while being forced to stand in the sun for five days as punishment for wetting his bed.
SitesWeLove
- Site Map
- |
- Staff
- |
- Terms of Service
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Trademarks
- |
- Advertise With Us
- |
- About Our Ads
- |
- AOL Downloads
- |
- Contact Us
- |
© Copyright 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Aol Family
ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
3-28-2011 @ 8:21PM
Ann said...This article is right on. I have 4 kids; my girls stayed dry at night without a problem while my boys wet themselves. My older son (7) outgrew it by age 6, his younger brother (5) still needs a diaper at night, but I don't make a fuss about it because he doesn't do it on purpose. I think the way a child sleeps also has to do with it; when my oldest daughter started staying dry at night I noticed that it made a big difference if she had a nap in the afternoon. If she didn't she was more likely to sleep too hard to notice that she had to pee. Since my sons sleep like rocks...
Oh well, this too shall pass! :-))
Reply
3-28-2011 @ 8:25PM
smapplebee said...Did you read the article? There is a big difference between potty training and bed wetting.
Reply
3-28-2011 @ 9:04PM
Larry said...Wake up rebecca stapp. Did you read the article ??? Obviously you didn't understand what you read. Let me interpret: There is a big difference between Bed Wetting as talked about in the article and "potty training which the article does not talk about and is totally unrelated in child behavior.
Reply
3-28-2011 @ 9:09PM
Astralcataleptic said...The doctors are not sure what causes bed-wetting because there is nothing physical causing us to bed wet as children. It is primarily due to the projection of the astral body. (We really believe we are actually making a visit to the bathroom). I believe thier statements about more boys than girls is questionable? If you might wish to learn more about what I am talking about please visit my blog at www.astraljump.blogspot.com
Reply
3-28-2011 @ 9:23PM
arla said...OMG a NEW study shows this? Our Great Great Great Great Great........ Grandparents knew this.
Reply
3-28-2011 @ 9:39PM
nigger said...wonder how many adult alcoholics wet the bed?
Reply
3-28-2011 @ 10:08PM
doedill7 said...this video describes in detail how to avoid bedwetting: a must see
YouTube.com, pee-pee1990
Reply
3-28-2011 @ 10:12PM
Katy Del said...Food allergies can cause bedwetting. Milk can make the tendon that runs along the bladder contract, restricting how much the bladder can fill. After reading that, we limited my daughter to just having milk at breakfast. Her bedwetting stopped completely, and we became much more aware of the way food can affect our bodies.
Reply
3-28-2011 @ 10:27PM
Meanstr said...I was not a constint Bed wetter when I was Young but I did do it a few times .The thing is each time i did it I Dreaming I was doin it in the Bathroom.
Reply
3-28-2011 @ 10:28PM
Terry said...The solution for bedwetting that helps 90% of bedwetters (works best with boys), is the Potty Pager. A little vibrating box attached to the sufferer's underwear, it vibrates at the slightest bit of moisture. It wakes the child with a mildly unpleasant 'buzzy' feeling, and within a couple of weeks trains the child to awaken to the full bladder feeling that comes just before the 'buzz'. My son went from soaking the bed every night to dry and 'pagerless' in about a month. He was 8 at the time. Google 'Potty Pager'.
Reply
3-28-2011 @ 10:52PM
chckpope said...I think the fact that 100% of the kids tested were all Chinese, maybe they should have reported that, it would have just as much merit. All kids are different and one gender doesn't have the market cornered on wetting the bed.
Reply
3-28-2011 @ 10:53PM
Doug H said...So it's normal behavior and the child has no real control over it when they are little (like up to 5 or 7). They can't understand it if doctors cannot.
So keep that in mind when you remind yourself to keep your mouth shut around family or friends if the topic arises. Make sure you privately tell the parents what you now know: there is a way to help the child and to calm the parents' fears about the embarassment for their child.
It's a minor problem like thumb sucking or blanket emotional attachment. Help the child by understanding it and learn to control your own biases about it. Above all, do NOT ever shame a child about it.
And yes, it's not so different from a puppy that is not yet house trained. It takes time and it your responsibility and blessing to have a puppy to care for. Get a crate and learn why it is a young dog's best friend. All trainers an most dog rescue volunteers know this stuff.
Reply
3-29-2011 @ 3:17PM
chris said...It's about time doctors admitted that they don't know what causes bedwetting!
Back in the 60's, they'd tell parents that the child was doing it DELIBERATELY!!
I was one of those kids. I can't tell you how horrible it was. I was blamed and shamed for doing something I couldn't control. My parents used to send me off to school stinking of urine. I guess they thought my shame would make me stop. It was so horrible. And back then, no one intervened. I remember one teacher back in 2nd grade, on "school picture day," telling me that she wished someone would take care of me.
I have a friend my age who had the same problem, but her mother didn't believe the doctor. She stood up for her child.
Reply
3-29-2011 @ 4:00AM
jimi said...i was beaten with a belt, had my nose rubbed in the wet sheets, and had to wear a wet proof diaper that was not wet proof it turned out, and had to put it on at night whether it had dried or not....bedwetting was no fun,..two boys i went to school with hauled off my mattress that through the years was ruined and stained with pee...one of them still mocked me years later after i had quit bedwetting and had gotten married...made a comment to my husband then, does she still wet the bed? he did not hear it, but i did...children are cruel, but when you grow up, you ought to have some sensitivity. i quit wetting the bed when i was about sixteen as well. i shared the bed with my sister, who hated sleeping with me, and she would say act like there is a line between us and don't you cross it. of course i would, cause that warm pee, turned very cold and i would try to get warm next to her...she is the one who beat me, rubbed my nose in the sheets , and saw that i wore the diaper...our mother was not at home, as she was always sick in the hospital, so my sister was in charge of me...for those of you who have a bedwetter in your family,, do not mistreat them, and don't run around telling everyone...it is such a stigma and embarrassment that brings more pain emotionally than you can imagine...i am so glad i finally outgrew the bedwetting...two of my children wet the bed til they were around 3 and another about 5, i never said anything mean or did anything to them, i simply laundered their nightclothes and sheets, and put on fresh ones when they did...they outgrew it quicker than me...i was told i would be sewed up so i couldn't wet the bed..how ridiculous that was and how frightening..., and when that threat, didnt work, my dad said went to a dr who said that probably i had emotional problems because mother was not at home...i found out years later, that his sister had wet the bed all her life...apparently it is hereditary...the dr did not know beans in my opinion.
3-29-2011 @ 6:20AM
Rob said...I think some has to do with the fact that as we grow our bladder sometimes lags behind and does not grow at the same rate putting increased stress on it. In time it will catch up. As for the problem being more common in boys could be developmental combined with the obvious differences in our plumbing. As long as any medical condition has been ruled out, it should just be considered part of growing up and not embarrassing at all. A simple: "everybody does it when we were young" goes a long way.
Reply
3-29-2011 @ 11:56AM
babycax said...The worst thing anyone can do to a bedwetter is humiliate them. The stories about destroyed self esteem abound out in the world. The best thing to do is be gentle and do what you can to make it easier on both of you. Buy waterproof protection for the mattress. Allow your kids to use "night pants" if needed. Reassure them always. They will grow out of it! I believe it can be hereditary and can also have to do with deep sleep patterns. I was not a regular bed wetter but I did have a couple instances in my life where I barely caught myself because I was using the bathroom in my dream! That was shocking when I woke up and realized it.
Please be kind to your children!! The less stress you put on them the better/healthier they will be.
Reply
6-09-2011 @ 4:07AM
txno1509 said...it’s not the age that matters but the Potty training readiness including three components as physical, physiologic and psychological readiness.
All good things come with time. You have to be patient for potty training readiness, and then the pee will come.
It is from http://freetxno1.com/2011/05/27/potty-training-readiness
Reply