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Parents
A CRITICAL NOTE FOR PARENTS:
Despite the old wives' tales, emotional problems are almost never
the primary cause of nocturnal enuresis, but you can still find
books and web pages that classify bedwetting as an emotional or
behavior problem. Children do NOT
wet the bed on purpose. The idea that the child wets at night out
of spite or hostility or as a way to gain attention is almost
unanimously rejected by professionals . There is NO compelling evidence to support that
position. Neither is nightwetting a symptom of a deep-seated
emotion problem. Stress and emotional problems may be involved
when a child who has long been dry returns to wetting. But do not
jump to conclusions. Studies have found that wetting children are
no more emotionally impaired than a like sample of dry children.
While most children have no major physical problem or disease,
the possibility should not be ignored. Particularly when a dry
child returns to wetting (secondary enuresis), it is possible
that the problem is caused by a bladder or kidney infection which
could cause serious damage if left untreated. It appears that
children with certain learning disabilities, in particular ADD, are statistically more likely to be
wetters than other children. But MOST children who nightwet are
not learning disabled.
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IS IT OK TO USE PROTECTION?
Parents commonly ask “I have seen articles that say that it
is wrong to use any sort of adsorbent pants or diapers on a
bedwetting child. What can I do?” You will see articles that
say that you should not allow your child to wear protection. It
is said that it encourages 'infantile behavior and that it is 'humiliating
and demeaning'. They say if you let the child wear a diaper you
are sending the message that bedwetting is not important and that
it is 'OK'. Letting a child sleep in the comfort of dry bed is
thought to decrease the motivation to become dry. It is noted
that wearing diapers can make it harder for a child to go to the
toilet if he wakes in time to prevent an accident. HOWEVER, while
most of these reasons are well intended they miss the mark. Yes,
enforced diaper wearing is a demeaning punishment where no
punishment is called for. So is forcing a child to sleep in a wet
bed. It the parental attitude that is humiliating, not the
garment. Providing a child a tool to manage a problem more
comfortably with less mess and odor is hardly infantile. While no
parent would want a child to wet the bed, a parent should let a
child know that wetting is one of those bodily flaws that some
people must learn to live with. It is OK to be a bedwetter.
Nobody expects that a school age child is going to be overjoyed
at the prospect of being returned to diapers, but if protection
is offered as something that will make everyone's life easier it
will be accepted in due course.
here's another Parents Perspective
Here's advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Created by:
Main Code of Beliefs Information Parents Support