Medical conditions that may cause bed-wetting in children

Content provided by Healthwise

Medical conditions that may cause bed-wetting in children

Medical conditions may cause a child to begin wetting the bed after a period of time in which he or she has had bladder control (secondary nocturnal enuresis).

Some medical conditions that may cause bed-wetting include:

• Diabetes, especially if the child is urinating more often than normal and/or is more thirsty than normal.
• Bladder or kidney infections (urinary tract infections), especially if the child is urinating more often than normal and/or complains of pain when urinating. The child may also have accidental wettings or leak urine (have damp underpants) during the day.
• Constipation, especially if the child complains of abdominal pain and has large, hard stools or watery stool leaking from the bowel. Children who have stool less frequently than every 2 days may need to be checked for constipation.
• Bladder stones (calculi), especially if the child has a weak urine stream and complains of pain.
• Abnormal activity of the bladder muscle, especially if the child:
  • Urinates more often than normal (frequency).
  • Cannot hold urine when the urge to urinate occurs (urgency).
  • Has leakage of urine.
  • Has pain while urinating.
• Allergy to bubble bath or soap, especially in young girls. The symptoms may include abdominal pain, vaginal burning, and redness of the genital area.
• Infection of the vagina, especially if the girl has discharge from the vagina.
• Side effect of medication.
• Seizures.

Credits

Last updated:	November 12, 2008
Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer