Ikorodu (Lagos) – Two paediatricians on Tuesday advised parents against scolding children who bed-wet, saying they should see it as a health challenge.

They spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

An Online publication- emedicinehealth- says, “Bed-wetting, or nocturnal enuresis, refers to the unintentional passage of urine during sleep.

“Enuresis is the medical term for wetting, whether in the clothing during the day or in bed at night. Another name for enuresis is urinary incontinence.’’

In her remarks, Dr Arinola Aduloju of White Waters Hospital, Ikorodu, advised mothers not to punish their children when they bed wet, saying that the process to help them stop bed-wetting should not involve conflict.

Aduloju urged mothers to try to be patient and help their wards to treat it as a health challenge.

“Bed-wetting, or enuresis has many causes; your child’s nervous system may not have developed to allow the child night time control over his or her bladder.

“Sometimes, bed-wetting is not the child’s fault, so don’t scold your child, rather explain to him or her that you are trying to help to work on a solution.

“Your child may also have urinary tract troubles which make him or her to urinate more regularly,’’ she said.

Aduloju, however, gave tips on natural remedies to control bed-wetting.

“Let your child drink more fluids during the day and less at night, try to avoid putting your child in diapers so that he or she can feel wet at night.

“Tell your ward to avoid being too playful because after playing so much, he or she will feel so relaxed and won’t remember to use the toilet in the middle of the night.

“Do not switch off the light in your child’s room, the reason being that he or she may not see the way to the toilet or be scared.
“Once your child wets the bed, do not be too harsh on him or her.

“For the older ones, you may set an alarm to wake him or her up in the middle of the night so that he or she can wake up to urinate,” she said.

Aduloju, however, said that such child should be taken to the hospital for examination if natural remedies do not stop bed-wetting.

Another paediatrician, Dr Ronke Oni of Gracene Hospital, Ikorodu, urged mothers to ensure that any child who bed-wets does not consume drinks with too much caffeine.

“Excess consumption of caffeine drinks increases the amount of urine produced; so children need to go to the toilet more often.

“Eliminate citrus juices, artificial flavourings; many parents don’t realise that these can irritate a child’s bladder.

“Waking them up frequently to urinate may lead to sleep apnea (a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts) and can cause health hazards to them.

“Although, age is something to consider, but mothers should be more concerned when their children still bed-wets at five years,“ Oni said.

She said that when bed-wetting signals more serious health issues or children continue to bed wet while growing, they should be taken to a doctor.