Dr Catherine
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Girl
4-7 years

Hi, I need help with my son, he is constantly wetting the bed most nights. His 7 years old, very active. Not sure what's the issue? Thank you

There are a number of causes of bedwetting with possible explanations including a neurological developmental delay, a small bladder size or a genetic predisposition to the condition (children whose parents wet the bed are at greater risk of also doing so). Recent research also points to the absence of ADH (antidiuretic hormone) - children without ADH produce four times the amount of urine as those who have the hormone and are therefore at a greater likelihood of ‘overfilling’ their bladder at night. In general, we find that children stop wetting the bed when their bodies become better able at storing the urine overnight or they learn to wake-up on their own in response to a full bladder. If you are at all concerned about your sons bladder capacity you can have this checked by his GP. This is usually done by having your son drink, and then measuring his urine output when he says he needs to go to the toilet. Given his age, you could certainly explore more formal intervention measures such as a conditioning alarm. All the best! Kind Regards, Dr Cathrine