BED WETTING

A mother asks that her 14 year old son has started bed wetting.He was having this habit at 8 years of age and again he has started. She says it happens when she scolds him and also when she does not interfere with him. She is a single parent. The boy had a congenital heart defect at birth and has undergone surgery at 6 months of age. What should be done?

Dr Subramanian: Bed wetting is called enuresis. A child who has stopped bed wetting for a considerable period of time and relapses to bed wetting again, then it is called secondary enuresis. This is always considered pathological. Causes include commonly behavioural or adjustment problems, organic issues like urinary infection, dysfunctional voiding, rare neurological problems, drug induced etc.

In this child, as there are no present symptoms of any illness and assuming no drug/medication intake, and a constant association with an emotional stress and single parent- I will consider a behavioral issue first. However organic causes need to be ruled out by a good examination/investigations if needed, before asking for a child psychology evaluation.