My niece is turning 7 and about 6 months ago started wetting the bed. If she is going to stay some where and told she can't wet she dosen't. If she is offered a reward for staying dry she will but when the offers stop she starts. When she is wetting she can wet up to 3 times a night. Her parents don't want to tell her off as they believe she's not doing it knowingly. She is coming to stay with us for a week and I am wondering if there is anything we can do in that time to try and sort the problem.
Hi Rochell, it is highly unusual for children to be able to control their nighttime wetting in response to requests or external rewards, this is mostly due to the fact that nighttime wetting occurs outside children’s conscious control. What you describe in your question sounds like deliberate wetting, although this is quite unusual (although not unheard of) given the age of your niece. On the rare occasion nighttime or daytime wetting may be a cry for attention. This may be in response to a stressful situation such as school bullying or environmental conditions. It would not be surprising to find an increase in bedwetting as a result of the earthquakes in Christchurch, for example. Given that she is only staying with you for a week, I think the best option is for her to wear DryNites during her stay – this will ensure that she doesn’t feel anxious about her nighttime wetting and it will reduce any anxiety you may feel about dealing with the situation. I would encourage her parents to make an appointment for her to been seen by her GP – any return to nighttime wetting really needs to be investigated further. The first step is to determine whether her nighttime wetting is the result of an underlying medical issue or is a psychological response. All the best!
Regards,
Dr Cathrine
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