From birth, a child does not have skills and abilities, he only has reflexes. He cries and asks for food when he is hungry, pisses when he wants to. Over time, he begins to control his needs and hold back urination for a while. Already after a year, some parents begin to accustom the baby to the potty. Closer to two years, most children consciously ask to go to the toilet, know how to restrain themselves and pee where it is supposed to. For some time, the baby urinates only at night in a dream, and then this also passes. But sometimes some kind of failure in the body does not allow the baby to overcome this threshold. A child can write at night in bed and 4, and even at 6 years old. How to deal with it? What needs to be done?
Enuresis
Urinary incontinence predominantly at night is called enuresis. Up to 5-6 years, such incontinence is considered normal and often does not require the help of specialists. This is due to the immaturity of the nervous system. That is, when a child is sleeping and his bladder is full, his brain does not receive a special signal to wake up. In the vast majority of cases, this resolves after 6 years. As for children of three years of age, among them enuresis is observed in 40% of children. It's not that uncommon, so you don't have to worry about it.
Causes of nocturnal enuresis
It is important to understand that bedwetting is a symptom, not a disease. To get rid of it, you need to understand the cause of enuresis.
- Nervous immaturity. This is the most common cause of bedwetting, but it is not a pathology. The child begins to control the act of urination after six months, but may not be able to do this until 4-5 years. This can be caused by some neurological diseases, birth injuries, problems in the prenatal period. Boys are more likely to suffer from urinary incontinence; in girls, the ability to control the urination process develops faster. Enuresis can be a concomitant symptom in epilepsy, autism.
- Diseases of the genitourinary system. This is due to the fact that the child simply physically cannot restrain urination. Often this is a consequence of infections, cystitis, pyelonephritis, features of the individual structure of the urinary organs.
- Mental and emotional factors. If the child has experienced a strong fright, irritation, stress, urinary incontinence may be the result of an emotional shock. Factors such as a quarrel between parents, moving to a new place, the death of a loved one, the loss of a pet, harsh punishments can play into this. Often, nocturnal enuresis occurs in emotional and sensitive children who take all surrounding events to heart.
- Endocrine diseases. With diabetes, the child drinks a lot and often. His bladder stretches over time, and the nerve endings lose their sensitivity. Sometimes the child simply does not feel that the bladder is full and it is time to go to the toilet.
- Sleep disorders. If the baby has too much sleep, which cannot be interrupted by weak neurological impulses, he also pees on the bed.
- Heredity. The likelihood of bedwetting increases if the child's parents had similar problems in childhood.
To identify the cause of the disease, you need to see a doctor. Upon diagnosis, he will prescribe medication. If the cause of incontinence is cystitis, antibiotics will be used. If the baby is pissing from nervous experiences, most likely, he will be prescribed sedatives.
If your baby pees in bed, this is not a reason for ridicule, shame or punishment. Remember that the child is not to blame for the fact that he is writing - he cannot restrain this process! There should be a trusting relationship between parents and the baby, do not put pressure on the child. Here are some tips to help you reduce the number of nighttime urination.
- It is not necessary to give the child a lot of liquid at night. This, of course, leads to the fact that the baby pees in bed. It is best to give him a drink no later than an hour before bedtime. And before going to bed, be sure to land on a pot.
- It is not necessary to feed the child at night with cold or dairy products, this also provokes urinary incontinence. No salty, fatty and fried foods that make you thirsty.
- Before going to bed - no cartoons, active games, gadgets. Nervous experiences and vivid emotions lead to overexcitation of the child, which is the cause of the failure of the nervous system.
- Various types of physical activity strengthen the walls of the bladder. Let the child move more, play sports. Movement also contributes to the early maturation of the nervous system.
- Kegel exercises are very effective. Toddlers, of course, will be difficult to explain the principle of their implementation, but older children may well do them. The principle is as follows. During urination, you need to stop the stream of urine for 10 seconds by muscle effort, and then resume it again. This should be done several times, the more often the better. This is how the muscle responsible for holding urine is trained.
- Perhaps the child is simply afraid to sleep alone in his room. Consider moving his bed into your bedroom for a while. If this is not possible, be sure to leave your child with a night light turned on before going to bed. Do not close the door so that the baby is not scared, invite him to sleep with his favorite toy so that he is not scared.
- Some foods can stimulate the nervous system and lead to urinary incontinence. Eliminate caffeinated foods before bed. No chocolate, cocoa, Coca-Cola.
- Perhaps the child pees in bed at night because he is cold? Try raising the room temperature. Wear long sweaters and sweatshirts before going to bed so that the child's lower back does not open at night.
- Sometimes it happens that an older child of 4-5 years old begins to write after a baby appears in the family in order to make up for the lack of parental attention. It is very important here to show the baby that he is still loved and appreciated.
There is a lot of debate about whether it is necessary to wake the baby at night so that he goes to the potty. The fact is that by waking up a child several times a night, we injure his psyche even more. In addition, the baby will never learn to feel this moment when you need to wake up and go to the potty. It is better to leave the child to sleep peacefully, and when he pees, just change his bed and clothes.
Another thing is when a child begins to toss and turn and worry before urination, but finally does not wake up and urinate in bed. In this case, you just need to help the child's nervous system and wake the baby up at this moment. Pick up the child and be sure to put him on the potty.
What to do if a child pees in bed at night
First you need to understand that only 1% of pissing children suffer from some serious disease that requires treatment. In other cases, nocturnal enuresis is not a pathology. This time you just need to survive, waiting for the baby to start waking up on the potty.
Before going to bed, prepare all the necessary things that you may need - clean bedding, a change of pajamas. The mattress must have a waterproof cover. If the baby has peed, you will simply need to remove the wet linen, wipe the mattress and lay a dry sheet. The child should be rinsed or wiped with a wet towel, dressed in dry clothes and put back to sleep.
No one in the family should make fun of a child's nocturnal enuresis. Ask older brothers and sisters not to focus on this. You can ask the child to change his own bed after a nightly incident. So the baby will be able to hide embarrassment in front of the parents. However, if the baby does not want to do this and perceives it as a punishment, do not insist.
Bedwetting is temporary and does not require any special treatment. In most cases, enuresis disappears without a trace even before the onset of adolescence. Help your child get through this moment, and everything will work out.
Video: how to potty train a child
The period of early childhood is not complete without wet panties. If a child under 3 years old does not have time to use the potty, there is no need to worry too much. Nothing wrong with that. At preschool age, failures also occur and the sheets turn out to be wet, but this is all within the normal range. We need to get through this period. To keep children's furniture unspoiled, use waterproof hygienic mats. Modern potties that you will find in the Daughters and Sons online store will help to teach your baby to use the toilet.
Why is the child pissing
You should be concerned if such problems occur at school age, and up to 6 years you can not be afraid. The process of urination is regulated by the brain. The bladder is filled, from it the signal is sent to the brain so that the person wakes up and goes to the toilet. In young children, these signals are very weak, and the younger the baby, the worse he perceives them. Up to five or six years, this is considered normal.
What to do if the child pees at night? First you need to find the reason. Child psychologists name several factors that cause urinary failure:
- excessive demands of parents;
- stressful situations (in the garden, on the street, at home);
- conflicts in the family;
- psychological crisis;
- jealousy of a younger brother or sister;
- attention deficit.
To cope with this situation, parents need to remember why the child pees in his sleep: he is not to blame, he simply cannot control himself at night. Scolding children for a wet bed is not allowed. Shouting will make the situation worse. Parents need to show maximum attention to their son or daughter, avoid any conflict situations, let them feel their love against the backdrop of caring for younger children.
Important!
Don't forget to put your baby on the potty before bed. Don't rush him. Limit evening drinking, do not give water and juices just before bedtime. Try to make the child fall asleep happy and relaxed, talk to him, praise him, tell him how he has grown up.
Causes of nocturnal enuresis
At the age of six, the formation of complete control over the function of the bladder is completed, so if the problem does not go away, it is necessary to find out why the child often pees through examinations and tests.
The causes of nocturnal enuresis are:
- congenital malformations of the urinary tract;
- mental disorders;
- infections (must be treated, otherwise there will be inflammation of the organs of the genitourinary system);
- damage to the brain and spinal cord;
- stress and psychotraumatic situations.
Self-medication in such situations is impossible. Timely access to a doctor will allow you to quickly and easily cope with the disease. If the problem is psychological, consult a psychologist.
conclusions
Until the age of six, bedwetting does not go beyond the limits, doctors say that this is the norm. It's just that in some children, the functions of the central nervous system that control the functioning of the bladder are not fully activated. Never scold the baby for a wet bed, he is not to blame. Work on the problem together: keep a calendar of dry awakenings, ask the child to be patient before going to the toilet (this is such a bladder workout). Be sure to go to the bathroom before bed. Buy a convenient adapter or child seat for the toilet.
No child is born with the ability to control the sphincters of the bladder and, accordingly, go to the potty. The sphincters mature at about two years of age. Therefore, if a child of one and a half to two years old pees exclusively in his pants, and the pot in the family is an interior item, then there is no reason for concern. Most often, the problem is created by parents or grandparents who compare the child with other children or with themselves at an early age. So, grandparents add fuel to the fire, who talk about how their own children (the baby's parents) went exclusively to the potty a year. The reason for the inability of the baby to use the potty is usually called disposable diapers. Do not take on faith the words of grandparents. They were young parents for a long time and much has already been erased from their memory. So, it is quite possible that their own child learned to use the pot after all, not in a year, but later: in two or even three years.
So, if the child is under two years old, then there is definitely no cause for concern.
Child two or three years old
But the child is growing up. He is almost three years old and still does not use the potty, although most of his peers have already learned to control the process of urination. Indeed, most children under the age of 2.5 learn to pee in the potty. But not all. And if the child is healthy, then this is a variant of the norm. But how do you know if the baby is healthy? Contact your pediatrician, take a urine test, do an ultrasound of the bladder and kidneys. You can also get a consultation with a nephrologist (this is not necessary, but it will not be worse). If there are adults in the family who suffer from diseases of the kidneys or bladder, then a visit to the doctor is simply necessary.
If, according to the results of the analyzes, any problems are identified, then it is quite obvious that medical treatment is necessary. If it turns out that the child is healthy, then it’s still good that you made a diagnosis. Now you know for sure that the child is somatically healthy and it remains to wait patiently, accustoming him to the toilet.
Child four or five years old
But the child grows up, but the problem remains. Most often it happens that a child during the day learns to control the sphincters of the bladder, and at night it is written. Many parents (especially parents of boys) do not worry until the age of five or six, or even seven, believing that the child will definitely “outgrow” the problem. Why boys? The fact is that there is a myth that it is normal for boys to write before the age of five, but for girls this bar is somehow lower. Therefore, the parents of girls begin to sound the alarm at 4-4.5 years.
If a four-year-old child pees rarely (for example, once a month), then most likely there is no problem, it’s just that children can’t always wake up at night. Also, do not worry if, for example, the child drank too much water at night, ate watermelon and wet the bed once. It happens that children pee if they have received too many impressions during the day (for example, after a birthday). In this case, we are not talking about enuresis. If, against the background of complete somatic health after four years, the child pees during the day or at night more than once or twice a week, then you should not wait. It is better to consult a specialist. Only in this case, not to the doctor (after all, we are talking about a healthy, examined child), but to a psychologist.
We will not touch on the possible causes of enuresis. The reasons can be very different. And it will really be better if a specialist examines exactly your situation and starts working.
Enuresis appeared unexpectedly
And here is another situation. A child, already accustomed to the potty, suddenly begins to write (most often at night). This is secondary enuresis. In this case, first consult a doctor to exclude somatic diseases (inflammation or other problems). If the child is healthy, then work with a psychologist is necessary. Probably, we are talking about neurotic enuresis. Children react sharply to stressful situations: the divorce of their parents or admission to school. And one of the options for responding to stress can be enuresis. It also happens that the reason is not obvious. Parents did not divorce, there are no quarrels in the family. However, seemingly insignificant changes in a child's life can provoke a problem. Don't expect enuresis to go away on its own. It is better to consult a psychologist.
What not to do
It happens that parents do not turn to specialists and try to solve the problem on their own. For example, they limit the child's water intake in the evening, give herring at night and put her on the potty several times a night. These methods do not help get rid of enuresis. The child does not learn to control the sphincters of the bladder, it is just that his bladder fills more slowly (if there is a restriction in the liquid) or empties (due to landing).
It is important to understand that drinking restrictions do not always contribute to the health of the child and can be harmful. Night landings are more likely to lead to neuroticism, because forced awakening interrupts the natural course of sleep. As a result, the child does not rest fully.
In conclusion, once again we want to draw attention to the importance of contacting specialists - a doctor, a psychologist - and the inadmissibility of self-treatment.
According to urologists, up to 4-5% of children suffering from enuresis have manifestations of this pathology up to 10 years or more. In addition to the fact that the child wakes up in a wet bed, which is physically uncomfortable, he experiences emotional discomfort. Although he is not to blame, he is haunted by a sense of shame because of such a problem, he can become the object of ridicule, which will give complexes.
All causes of enuresis can be divided into physical (disturbances in the structure or functioning of organs), neurogenic (disturbances in the regulation of the bladder or urination) or mental. Physical causes include pathologies of the kidneys or the bladder itself, anomalies in the structure of the genitourinary tract, problems in the innervation of the bladder. For girls, the occurrence of enuresis at this age may indicate the presence of urinary and genital infections, or helminthic invasions.
If a child of 10 years old pees at night, at least occasionally, this is an occasion for immediate consultation with specialists - a urologist and a neurologist. By this age, all children should have a clear control over daytime and nighttime urination, and if urine is excreted at night, this is an occasion to identify the causes of such an anomaly.
Also of considerable importance is the violation of hormonal balance and regulation, disruptions in the work of the nervous system, overwork, heavy physical exertion. Sometimes, if earlier the child was often woken up to the toilet for a small need, at this age the reflex can work when waking up at night. Enuresis often occurs when hypothermia, getting wet feet, freezing of a child predisposed to this problem, with severe infections.
Also, bedwetting in children of 10 years old can be associated with a mass of psychological factors and influences - nervous overload, fears, stress, sudden changes in the environment, moving, changing schools, conflicts in it. Incontinence can be provoked by the death of loved ones, family divorces, tests, and exams. Usually such problems occur in children with a hereditary predisposition, if mom or dad themselves suffered from incontinence in childhood.
It is important to start treatment of nocturnal enuresis in children 10 years of age as soon as the problem is identified. First of all, it is necessary to eliminate all psycho-traumatic factors and undergo a complete detailed urological examination, a consultation with a neurologist. Depending on the causes that provoke urinary incontinence, a course of treatment will be planned. it could be:
Surgical treatment in the presence of anomalies in the structure of the genitourinary system, the area of \u200b\u200bthe spine or nerves responsible for the control of urination. Medication in the presence of a urinary tract infection, metabolic disorders or inflammatory processes, when worms are detected. The appointment of specific drugs that regulate the process of urine separation during the day and night , sedative drugs, tranquilizers, sedatives. Special training of the bladder, drugs to increase the volume of the bladder. Psychotherapeutic measures, correction of the daily regimen and nutrition, drinking regimen, the use of physiotherapy, spa treatment.
Parents play an important role in the treatment of enuresis at this age. Much depends on them in the fight against the disease. If they do not scold the child, gently and tactfully help and encourage him, this will help to quickly and fully get rid of the problem.
Urinary incontinence during sleep is an unpleasant phenomenon for children and their parents. A medical condition of this kind is called enuresis. However, here it is necessary to make a reservation: if a child pees at night, this condition can be considered a disease only when he has reached the age of six. It is believed that at this age the formation of complete control of the functions of the bladder is completed. As a rule, in boys, enuresis occurs 2 times more often than in girls.
Why does a child urinate at night
The following are the causes of urinary incontinence at night:
Infections leading to inflammation of the urinary tract
- congenital malformations of the urinary tract,
- organic lesions of the brain and spinal cord,
- psychotraumatic situations and stresses,
- neurotic states,
- mental disorders,
- side effects of certain drugs (tranquilizers, anticonvulsants).
Treatment of nocturnal enuresis in children
For the treatment of urinary incontinence, an integrated approach is used, which includes a combination of several methods. Drug treatment consists in the use of pharmacological drugs (antibiotics, tranquilizers, antidepressants, metabolic drugs for the brain, hormonal drugs - depending on the reason why the child pees in bed).
Of the non-drug methods, psychotherapy (the method of self-hypnosis and hypnosis) and physiotherapy (acupuncture, laser therapy, magnetotherapy, music therapy, etc.) should be noted. Regime activities and diet also have a therapeutic effect on children with enuresis.
Doctors of several directions take part in the treatment. These are pediatricians, neurologists, endocrinologists, psychiatrists, urologists, nephrologists, homeopaths, physiotherapists, psychologists and some others.
Treatment of a child with folk remedies at home
After examining the child and establishing the cause of enuresis, you need to address the problem.
Of great importance here is the desire and perseverance in achieving the goal of the children themselves and their parents. What should be done to prevent the child from urinating in bed?
First of all, you can use the technique of night awakenings. According to this technique, the child is awakened daily for seven days every hour in a row after midnight. Then, after a week, he is awakened once a night at the same time, picking up the interval so that the child does not have time to wet the bed during the remaining time. This period of time is smoothly reduced by moving the wake-up time one hour after falling asleep. If at the same time the child urinates 2 times a week, the whole procedure starts over.
Ten-year-olds can benefit from self-hypnosis at bedtime. The child should repeat to himself several times: “I want to wake up dry. Urine will not come out of my body while I sleep. If I feel like urinating, I will quickly get up and go to the toilet.” In addition, you can keep a diary in which to mark "dry" and "wet" nights. Parents agree with the child that for 10 "dry" nights they will give him a gift. It is important that your child change their own underwear after an episode of urinary incontinence.
Help in the fight against the problem can be provided by a special diet of N. I. Krasnogorsky. It consists in regulating the water and electrolyte balance in the body. A child up to 15 hours can drink any amount of liquid and eat different dishes. After this time, the volume of liquid and liquid dishes is sharply reduced. At 18 o'clock the child has dinner without taking liquid. During dinner, he should not be given diluted cereals, salty dishes, vegetables and fruits. It is allowed to eat butter, bread, eggs, meat and fresh fish. With such a diet, the liquid introduced into the body before 15 hours must be removed before nightfall.
At about 20 o'clock, before going to bed, the child takes salty food: some herring or a sandwich with sausage, smoked butter and cheese. After eating these foods, fluid will be retained in the tissues, which will reduce the rate of urine formation in the kidneys, and, consequently, the amount in the bladder. Such a diet, in combination with medications, is used for four weeks.
Among other things, parents and relatives of children suffering from enuresis need to achieve daily adherence to the daily routine and follow some general recommendations. In no case should you punish children, show rudeness and impatience when a delicate situation arises. It is necessary to systematically instill in a sick child confidence in his own abilities and in the effectiveness of treatment.
Limit your child's fluid intake as much as possible in the evening, especially after dinner. It is unlikely that it will be possible not to give a drink at all, but it is quite possible to reduce its amount by half. In addition to drinking, dishes and foods with a high liquid content (first courses, liquid cereals, juicy fruits and vegetables) are limited. In this case, the diet should be balanced in nutrients and energy. Make sure that the child during the day does not consume foods and drinks that have a diuretic effect (rose hips, green tea, currants, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, melon). If this fails, try to have him consume them at least 3 hours before bedtime.
The surface of the bed on which the sick child sleeps should be covered with a hard mattress, and during deep sleep the child must be turned over repeatedly.
Try to protect him from excessive positive and negative emotional stress, as well as from overwork.
Insist that before going to bed, the child goes to the toilet or sits on the potty.
During sleep, the child should not be supercooled.
It is often effective to wake him up a few hours after falling asleep to empty his bladder. But, if at the same time, the child urinates unconsciously and is in a sleepy state, then your actions will only worsen the situation.
At night, leave a dim light in the children's room so that the child is not afraid of the dark and can safely sit on the potty or go to the toilet.
Herbs to use if your child is urinating
If the child does not have allergies, you can use herbal recipes.
1. Flowers and fruits of hawthorn - 2 parts, Peppermint leaves - 1 part, Horsetail grass - 1 part.
To 1 tbsp. l. collection, add 0.5 liters of boiling water, insist in a thermos for 4-6 hours. Drink on an empty stomach in the morning and 2-3 times a day before meals ¼ cup.
2. Oregano, hawthorn fruit.
Take one part of each herb. Brew a tablespoon of the collection in the same way in a thermos and drink during the day instead of tea, diluted with water before drinking.
3. Motherwort, Valerian, Horsetail herb, Hypericum herb
Boil 500 ml of boiling water for one part of each herb. Insist in a thermos and drink in equal parts all day, diluted with water.
4. 1 st. a spoonful of dill seeds per 500 ml of boiling water. Insist in a thermos for 2-3 hours, strain. Drink 1/4 cup for 1 dose 1 time per day.
Treat with any prescription for 10 days. Then a month break and repeat.
Prevention of enuresis in children
Try to timely abandon the use of disposable and standard reusable diapers. As a rule, this time comes when the child is two years old. At this age, you need to instill children in the elementary rules of neatness.
Control the amount of liquid drunk by the child during the day (taking into account air temperature and season). Teach your children about hygienic care of the body, including caring for the external genitalia.
If urinary tract infections occur, treat them promptly and thoroughly.
Protect your child from emotional overload and stressful situations. The birth of a brother or sister can also become such a situation for your child, so it is necessary to prepare the child for such a crucial moment long in advance.
Pediatrician Sytnik S.V.