Bedwetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, is a condition that a person is diagnosed with if he maintains control over his bladder during the day but loses control and urinates while he is sleeping. This problem appears to affect more children than adults--23 percent of those five and under suffer from it while only one to two percent of people 18 and over are diagnosed, according to the Urology Channel. While the exact cause has not been identified, a number of possible causes and risk factors have been.
Family History
As stated by the Mayo Clinic, if both a child's parents wet the bed when they were children, then a child's risk factor of being a bedwetter increases to 80 percent.
Unable to Recognize a Full Bladder
Some children, especially those who sleep soundly, are unable to feel or recognize a full bladder. This is because the nerves that control their ability to notice when their bladder is full, and to wake up when they feel it, have not fully matured. This explains why some children wet the bed beyond four or five years of age.
Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection makes it difficult for a child to control her urination during the night. She may even have accidents during the day, another symptom of bedwetting. Additional signs include frequent urination and complaints of pain when she urinates. Once diagnosed and treated, her nighttime accidents may end.
Medical Conditions
Certain medical conditions can play a large role in your child's bedwetting, according to the Mayo Clinic. One of these conditions is diabetes. If your child is just beginning to have accidents, his bedwetting may be an indication of this disease. Additional signs include excessive thirst, passing large amounts of urine at once, weight loss even though he eats well and abnormal fatigue.
Another contributing condition is sleep apnea. This condition results in an interruption of your child's breathing while he is sleeping. This may be due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids. For further confirmation, you may watch for signs such as snoring, daytime drowsiness, frequent sore throats and constant ear or sinus infections.
Psychological Problems
The Urology Channel states that a child with psychological problems may express the stress caused by these problems through bedwetting. Some examples include a child who has suffered from child abuse, sexual abuse, bullying or the death of someone close to her, such as a parent or sibling.
