Natural herbal & homeopathic remedies for bedwetting in children

Child’s Bedwetting
HEALTH HERBS & NUTRITION - REMEDIES -CHILD'S BEDWETTING

· General Description · Causes of night-time incontinence · Causes of daytime incontinence · Herbal & Homeopathic Remedies · Helpful Dietary Habits · Dos and Don'ts

About child bedwetting

Many children wet the bed until they are 5 years old, or even older. In most cases, the cause is physical and not the child’s fault. The child’s bladder might be too small. Or the amount of urine produced overnight is too much for the bladder to hold. As a result, the bladder fills up before the night is over. Some children sleep too deeply or take longer to learn bladder control. Children don’t wet the bed on purpose. Bedwetting is a medical problem, not a behavior problem. Scolding and punishment will not help a child stay dry. Bedwetting may be caused by an infection or a nerve disease. Children with nerve disease often also have daytime wetting. A child who has been dry for several months or even years may return to wetting the bed. The cause might be emotional stress, such as loss of a loved one, problems at school, a new sibling, or even training too early.

Parents or guardians of children who experience bedwetting at night or accidents during the day should treat this problem with understanding and patience. This loss of urinary control is also called urinary incontinence or just incontinence. Although it affects many young people, it usually disappears naturally over time, which suggests that incontinence, for some people, may be a normal part of growing up. Incontinence at the normal age of toilet training may cause great distress. Daytime or nighttime incontinence can be embarrassing. It is important to understand that many children experience occasional incontinence and that treatment is available for most children who have difficulty controlling their bladders. About our urinary system Urination, or voiding, is a complex activity. The bladder is a balloon-like organ that lies in the lowest part of the abdomen. The bladder stores urine, then releases it through the urethra, the canal that carries urine to the outside of the body. Controlling this activity involves nerves, muscles, the spinal cord, and the brain. The bladder is composed of two types of muscles: the detrusor, a muscular sac that stores urine and squeezes to empty; and the sphincter, a circular group of muscles at the bottom or neck of the bladder, that automatically stays contracted to hold the urine in and automatically relaxes when the detrusor contracts to let the urine into the urethra. A third group of muscles below the bladder (pelvic floor muscles) can contract to keep urine back.

A baby’s bladder fills to a set point, then automatically contracts and empties. As the child gets older, the nervous system matures. The child’s brain begins to get messages from the filling bladder and begins to send messages to the bladder to keep it from automatically emptying until the child decides it is the time and place to void. Failures in this control mechanism result in incontinence. Reasons for this failure range from simple to complex.

When do you take your child to the doctor? If your child is younger than 5, don’t worry about bedwetting. Many children do not stay dry at night until age 7. Most children outgrow wetting the bed. A single episode of bedwetting should not cause alarm, even in an older child. If your child is 7 years old or older and wets the bed more than two or three times in a week, a doctor may be able to help. If both day and night wetting occur after age 5, your child should see a doctor before age 7. Diagnosis The doctor will ask questions about your child’s health and the wetting problem. Your child will likely be asked for a urine sample. The doctor uses the sample to look for signs of infection. By testing the reflexes in the child’s legs and feet, the doctor can check for nerve damage. Sometimes bedwetting is a sign of diabetes, a condition that can cause frequent urination. If your child has an infection, the doctor can prescribe medicine. In most cases, the doctor finds that the child is normal and healthy. If your child is basically healthy, a variety of ways are available to help your child stop wetting the bed.

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After age 5, wetting at night often called bedwetting or sleep wetting is more common than daytime wetting. Experts do not know what causes nighttime incontinence. Young people who experience nighttime wetting are usually physically and emotionally normal. Most cases probably result from a mix of factors including slower physical development, an overproduction of urine at night, a lack of ability to recognize bladder filling when asleep, and, infrequently, anxiety. For many, there is a strong family history of bedwetting, suggesting an inherited factor. Slower Physical Development Between the ages of 5 and 10, bedwetting may be the result of a small bladder capacity, long sleeping periods, and underdevelopment of the body’s alarms that signal a full or emptying bladder. This form of incontinence will fade away as the bladder grows and the natural alarms become operational. Excessive Output of Urine During Sleep Normally, the body produces a hormone that can slow the production of urine. This hormone is called antidiuretic hormone, or ADH. The body normally produces more ADH at night so that the need to urinate is lower. If the body doesn’t produce enough ADH at night, the production of urine may not be slowed down, leading to bladder overfilling. If a child does not sense the bladder filling and awaken to urinate, then wetting will occur. Anxiety Experts suggest that anxiety-causing events occurring in the lives of children ages 2 to 4 might lead to incontinence before the child achieves total bladder control. Anxiety experienced after age 4 might lead to wetting after the child has been dry for a period of 6 months or more. Such events include angry parents, unfamiliar social situations, and overwhelming family events such as the birth of a brother or sister. Incontinence itself is an anxiety-causing event. Strong bladder contractions leading to leakage in the daytime can cause embarrassment and anxiety that lead to wetting at night. Obstructive Sleep Apnea Nighttime incontinence may be one sign of another condition called obstructive sleep apnea, in which the child’s breathing, is interrupted during sleep, often because of inflamed or enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Other symptoms of this condition include snoring, mouth breathing, frequent ear and sinus infections, sore throat, choking, and daytime drowsiness. In some cases, successful treatment of this breathing disorder may also resolve the associated nighttime incontinence. Structural Problems Finally, a small number of cases of incontinence are caused by physical problems in the urinary system in children. Rarely, a blocked bladder or urethra may cause the bladder to overfill and leak. Nerve damage associated with the birth defect spina bifida can cause incontinence. In these cases, the incontinence can appear as a constant dribbling of urine.

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Daytime incontinence that is not associated with urinary infection or anatomic abnormalities is less common than nighttime incontinence and tends to disappear much earlier than the nighttime versions. One possible cause of daytime incontinence is an overactive bladder. Many children with daytime incontinence have abnormal elimination habits, the most common being infrequent voiding and constipation. An Overactive Bladder Muscles surrounding the urethra, the tube that takes urine away from the bladder, have the job of keeping the passage closed, preventing urine from passing out of the body. If the bladder contracts strongly and without warning, the muscles surrounding the urethra may not be able to keep urine from passing. This often happens as a consequence of urinary tract infection (UTI) and is more common in girls. Infrequent Voiding Infrequent voiding refers to a child’s voluntarily holding urine for prolonged intervals. For example, a child may not want to use the toilets at school or may not want to interrupt enjoyable activities, so he or she ignores the body’s signal of a full bladder. In these cases, the bladder can overfill and leak urine. In addition, these children often develop UTIs, leading to an irritable or overactive bladder.

Other Causes

Some of the same factors that contribute to nighttime incontinence may act together with infrequent voiding to produce daytime incontinence. These factors include small bladder capacity structural problems anxiety-causing events pressure from a hard bowel movement (constipation) drinks or foods that contain caffeine, which increases urine output and may also cause spasms of the bladder muscle, or other ingredients to which the child may have an allergic reaction, such as chocolate or artificial coloring Sometimes overly strenuous toilet training may make the child unable to relax the sphincter and the pelvic floor to completely empty the bladder. Retaining urine, or incomplete emptying, sets the stage for UTIs.

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Some health care practitioners may prescribe various drug treatments to help prevent bedwetting. These medications are somewhat controversial as some have very serious side effects and most only offer short-term immediate relief. Once medication is stopped, bedwetting usually returns. It is strongly advised that you thoroughly research any prescription medication and its side effects before agreeing to drug therapy, especially in the case of young children. Certain herbal and homeopathic remedies have been successfully used to treat bedwetting. The Asian herb Equisetum has been widely used to tone and strengthen a weak bladder and urinary tract tissue, while decreasing anxiety.

Herbs such as Hypericum performatum and Passiflora also have traditional and clinical support for the treatment of childhood depression and anxiety – without the negative consequences of prescription drugs. The benefit of taking the natural route to curing bedwetting is that it is gentle and 100% safe for your child – so you don’t have to worry about any concerning side effects.

Equisetum (6cH) is an herb that comes from Asia and is widely used in Chinese medicine. Used homeopathically, Equisetum is a proven remedy which is especially useful for all bladder complaints and also helps to soothe nervous dispositions. It is safe and effective for children who wet their beds during nightmares and other dreams. Silica. (6C) - This ingredient is well respected as a homeopathic remedy for timid and fretful children. Aconite (6C) - Aconite is used homeopathically for its calming and settling properties and assists with the body’s natural ability to soothe common fear and promote balanced mood. Aconite is also recommended to help lessen restlessness and agitation. Hypericum perforatum (Also known as St. John’s Wort): This herb has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Research has confirmed that extracts of Hypericum may be particularly effective in alleviating symptoms of moderate mood disturbances. Other, more recent trials have also shown comparable efficacy to standard antidepressants with a superior adverse effect profile. Passiflora incarnata (Also known as Passion flower): This herb has been used to naturally promote a soothed demeanor – nature’s very own pacifier, with no harmful side effects! It can also be used to settle the nerves and ease minor worries. A recent study found that Passiflora incarnata was as effective as a prescription equivalent when taken for one month.

Try skipping drinks before bedtime. Avoid drinks with caffeine, like colas or tea. These drinks speed up urine production. Give your child one drink with dinner. Explain that it will be the last drink before going to bed.

Growth and Development Most urinary incontinence fades away naturally. Here are examples of what can happen over time: Bladder capacity increases. Natural body alarms become activated. An overactive bladder settles down. Production of ADH becomes normal. The child learns to respond to the body’s signal that it is time to void. Stressful events or periods pass. Many children overcome incontinence naturally without treatment as they grow older. The number of cases of incontinence goes down by 15 percent for each year after the age of 5. Bladder Training and Related Strategies                Bladder training consists of exercises for strengthening and coordinating muscles of the bladder and urethra, and may help the control of urination. These techniques teach the child to anticipate the need to urinate and prevent urination when away from a toilet. Techniques that may help nighttime incontinence include determining bladder capacity drinking less fluid before sleeping developing routines for waking up Unfortunately, none of these techniques guarantees success. Techniques that may help daytime incontinence include urinating on a schedule timed voiding such as every 2 hours avoiding caffeine or other foods or drinks that you suspect may contribute to your child’s incontinence following suggestions for healthy urination, such as relaxing muscles and taking your time
Incontinence is also called enuresis
	-	Primary enuresis is wetting in a person who has never been dry for at least 6 months.
	-	Secondary enuresis is wetting that begins after at least 6 months of dryness.
	-	Nocturnal enuresis is wetting that usually occurs during sleep, also called nighttime incontinence.
	-	Diurnal enuresis is wetting when awake, also called daytime incontinence.
Moisture Alarms At night, moisture alarms can awaken a person when he or she begins to urinate. These devices include a water-sensitive pad worn in pajamas, a wire connecting to a battery-driven control, and an alarm that sounds when moisture is first detected. For the alarm to be effective, the child must awaken as soon as the alarm goes off, go to the bathroom, and change the bedding. Using alarms may require having another person sleep in the same room to awaken the bed wetter.
Other points to remember Urinary incontinence in children is common. Normal, healthy children may wet the bed. Bedwetting may be a sign of infection or other problems. Nighttime wetting occurs more commonly in boys. Daytime wetting is more common in girls. Many children are dry at night by the time they are 5 years old. Others take longer to stay dry. Scolding and punishment do not help a child stop bedwetting. If your child is 7 or older and wets the bed more than two or three times a week, a doctor may be able to help. Treatments include bladder training, alarms, and medicines. Most children grow out of bedwetting naturally