Ask Dr Cathrine
Dr Cathrine Neilsen-Hewett is an experienced Child Development expert. As a mother of three young children, understanding children’s development and promoting positive approaches to parenting has become both a passion and a full-time career. You have the opportunity to ask your questions now.
46 Answers found for 'doctor'
-
My teenage sister is wetting the bed.
there are a number of treatments available for teenagers who wet the bed – the long-term success of these depends to a large extent on the frequenc...
-
I have a 15 year old daughter who has an 'over-active sensitive bladder'. Have tried everything, including operations. She wets the bed on average 3-4 times a night. Would you have any other ideas?
This must be very distressing for your daughter and your family. As I am not a surgeon I am unable to comment on the efficacy of surgical intervent...
-
My son is 8 and his bedwetting is getting worse. Is there any medical intervention?
a delay in achieving nighttime continence is typically due to a delay in maturation of your child’s nervous system. There are two main reasons he c...
-
Should my five year old visit the doctor?
It is not unusual for children to experience accidents during the day for a number of years after they have been toilet trained – this typically oc...
-
My niece is 11years old and has had bladder problems since she started school aged 5. She has been using a catheter for about a year, which has helped a little but she still gets infections and has been on all different antibiotics.
it sounds like your niece’s urinary incontinence is due to underlying medical causes, something I am unable to comment on. I would recommend your s...
-
My 11 year old son used minirin in the past, but no effect now. Could his severe anxiety be overriding the effects?
We would still consider your son to be experiencing primary enuresis, even though he did experience a short period of dryness. While there are alwa...
-
Seven year old son wets the bed, we've visited the hospital and tried the alarms. What next?
it can be extremely frustrating when a bedwetting treatment does not seem to work for your child. While the conditioning alarms currently have the ...
-
9 year old son has seen doctors and paediatricians but he's normal. So how can we help him stop wetting the bed?
Most children who wet the bed have no underlying medical condition and many of these are able to outgrow it on their own. However if your child’s b...
-
5 out of 7 nights my boys have accidents. Help!
if you are concerned that the bedwetting has been going on too long or there seems to be significant amounts of urine produced overnight then you n...
-
Why has my 5 year old only recently started wetting the bed?
your son’s type of bedwetting would be considered secondary enuresis (SE) – this is less common and has different underlying causes. When children ...
-
7 year old boy still wetting bed. Is it time for a continence specialist?
while it may not be medically necessary to treat bedwetting after the age of 6 years – some children due to social and emotional reasons benefit fr...
-
How should my son manage his bed wetting at school camp?
Bedwetting has a genetic link so it is not usual to find a number of children in the same family wetting the bed – siblings typically outgrow bedwe...
-
My four year old son wets the bed several times a night
While it is perfectly normal for your son to be still wetting the bed at age 4 - the decision of whether or not to see a doctor is ultimately up to...
-
Four year old boy, too early for alarms?
typically we recommend that parents wait until their child has turned 6 years of age before they consider bedwetting treatments. The reason for doi...
-
5 year old son shows no sign of stopping bed wetting
The first thing to keep in mind is that bedwetting is quite common among 5-year-old children with about 17% continuing to wet the bed at night – at...
-
5 year old son still wetting the bed after using alarms and everything!
feelings of frustration and desperation are common among parents of children who wet the bed – particularly if they are like you and have to deal w...
-
Still concerned about my son, he has a very weak bladder
I generally recommend that if children experience frequent accidents during the day after age 5 or they start wetting the bed again after a period ...
-
Son 9, saturates his Drynites pants everynight.
a lots of patience and understanding are needed in the management of bedwetting and thatâs not just for your son but for you too! A small bladder...
-
My daughter is 10 and is still wetting the bed almost every night. Should we be taking her to the doctor?
Unfortunately when it comes to bedwetting many parents and children suffer in silence, too embarrassed to discuss their situation with anyone while...
-
6yo girl dry until 4, and then wet the bed every night since. Is this something we should be seeking medical treatment for?
this type of bedwetting is called secondary enuresis (SE) – this occurs when children have developed control over their bladder during the night fo...
-
My son was toilet trained at the start of school this year. Recently he has started having a few wee accidents and wetting his bed. Is this normal to take two steps forward one back? How long does this take?
It is very common to fluctuate between wet and dry nights as children move toward nighttime continence – thankfully as time goes on the periods whe...
-
I have a 14 year old son who has continually wet the bed over the years. Minirin not helping much.
probably the most suitable treatment would be a conditioning alarm – these currently experience the best outcomes with about a 75% cure rate. A sen...
-
I have heard about the use of hypnosis or some way of stimulating neural pathways. I am wondering if there are any other things that you would recommend?
Increasingly parents are turning to alternative treatments in an attempt to help their child stay dry at night – the success of these is really dep...
-
Can having ear infections or sickness make a child re-wet his pants and bed at nite?
It is not unusual for children to experience a regression in their development if they have experienced an ongoing illness – particularly if this o...
-
Have been told I can get tablets for my daughter, Why hasn't my doctor prescribed them for my daughter?
Children wet the bed for a number of reasons, some do so because they produce double the amount of urine overnight, others do so as they are unable...
-
Why do children wet the bed? How old are the when they stop? Concerned about my son as he is going on camps.
Children wet the bed for a number of reasons, some do so because they produce double the amount of urine overnight, others do so as they are unable...
-
My 6yo is disheartened when his younger siblings have dry nappies which is quite often. Please do not say that he will grow out of it as it is affecting his self esteem.
If your child’s bedwetting starts to impact on their self-confidence or self-esteem then it is time to think about treatment – regardless of how ol...
-
My 6.5 yo has never had more tham 3 dry nights in a row. I have tried the alarm and I consulted my doctor. I feel very alone and not sure what to do next.
Even though it is the child who wets the bed, I often find it’s the parents who need the most support. Coping with bedwetting can be overwhelming f...
-
My daughter is 8 yrs old , its embarrassing for her, so she doesn't get to sleep at her friends place.
unfortunately not all children outgrow bedwetting – with some requiring more than just the basic measures we can implement at home. If you are conc...
-
My son is 7.5yo. He sleeps very well, which means he doesn't wake up to do his wees. How can I help him to stop wetting the bed? Please help
dealing with constant wet sheets can be incredibly frustrating – I find just keeping up with the standard daily load is difficult enough let alone ...
-
I have a 4yo girl, and her urine has quite a potent smell. Could this be a UTI?
The first course of action when children start wetting the bed at night or experience incontinence during the day after a period of dryness is to t...
-
My nearly 6yo still wets the bed every night. what can I do? She's so embarrassed about it.
When children experience daytime incontinence after 4 years of age you need to consult with a GP to check if there is an underlying medical conditi...
-
My daughter is 15 and still wets the bed is something wrong she's been on all the tablets and nothing worked. What should I do?
when bedwetting continues over many years it becomes increasingly frustrating for both the parents and the child. It must feel at times that this w...
-
My son age 12 is wetting since birth, please advice how to control as he will be going to high school next year.
as frustrating as this may be let me reassure you that you are not alone – it’s highly likely that there’s at least one other mother of a child in ...
-
My son is 10 years old and still wetting the bed. I have used the alarm for quite a few months, but this has not worked.
I would recommend that you get a referral to meet with a continence advisor who can help tailor at treatment that best suits your son’s individual ...
-
I was a bedwetter, and my 6yo son is too. Do you have any suggestions on how I can assist the process in any way?
Given the strong genetic link it is not unusual for parents who wet the bed to have children who also wet the bed. Often one of the best predictors...
-
6yo still bed wetting- should we try an alarm? My doctor said they didn't recommend trying anything till after 7 years but not sure why
doctors typically recommend holding off on treatment until children turn 7 years of age due to the high spontaneous cure rate up until then. Also t...
-
My 12 yr old daughter has just started wetting the bed again. Wondering if it could be related to puberty?
this must be very distressing for both you and your daughter. It is not unusual for a child who has experienced some difficulty achieving nighttime...
-
My 9 year old son wets the bed most nights, can you recommend an alarm we could use with the pants and sensor?
There are a number of bell and pad alarms currently on the market - some of these allow you to use a recording (which can be your voice) instead of...
-
I am sixteen and have type 1 diabetes. I know it shouldn't be causing the bedwetting but I'm frustrated.
This must be really frustrating for you. If your diabetes is being effectively managed it should not be the cause of your bedwetting. There are a n...
-
Any suggestions to convince teenage boys to use Drynites?
Due to the strong family history it is not unusual for a number of siblings to experience bedwetting. Current statistics suggest about 8 in 10 chil...
-
I am 14 and still wet the bed. I have tried the alarm mats but the lack of sleep affected my grades. I'm now having problems with burning with peeing.
this must be very frustrating for you. Firstly, I would recommend that you make an appointment with your GP to discuss your daytime urination as it...
-
My 6yo son is still wetting- should I be going to see a doctor now?
Many doctors recommend holding off until children are at least 6-years of age before seeking treatment due to the high spontaneous cure rate up unt...
-
what kind of food or drinks should my 6yo son avoid
if you think food sensitivities are contributing to his night wetting he may benefit from eliminating foods such as citrus and dairy from his diet....
-
8 year old getting worse, time for alarms?
I completely understand your frustration. The tricky thing about bedwetting is that there are so many possible causes that it can be difficult to t...
-
6yo still bed wetting at night - is it time to see a doctor about this?
Firstly, let me reassure you that what is happening is perfectly normal - almost 1 in 5 children your daughter’s age wake-up wet on a regular basis...