|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Definition: | Involuntary urination in children over 5 to 6 years old. It usually occurs at night. (See also incontinence.)
|
| Alternative Names: | Bed wetting
|
| Causes, incidence, and risk factors: | Children vary in the age at which they are physically ready to have complete control over their bladders. Many children are not ready for toilet training before the age of 3. Enuresis usually does not indicate an emotional or physical problem. It is more than twice as common among boys as girls. Causes may be due to a maturational delay in the development of bladder musculature and its ability to withstand the pressure of a large urine volume. It may also be related to toilet training that occurred too early or was too coercive. It may also be a symptom of temporary regression, a response to a new situation, to parents who are too controlling or critical, or as a problem of adjustment. Physical causes are rare, but may include lower spinal cord lesions, congenital malformations of the genitourinary tract, infections of the urinary tract, or diabetes. Risk factors are related to the causes. At age 5 about 7 in 100 boys and 3 in one hundred girls have bed wetting problems. The percentages decrease rapidly after age 5 years. Risk factors include a family history of bed wetting.
|
|
|
Review Date: 12/10/2001
Reviewed By: Jonathan Fanaroff, M.D., Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
|
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2003 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
|
|
