My 3yo son was toilet trained at night before he hurt his foot and went into hospital. Since being home he has wet the bed every night. Can you explain this at all?

My son is 3years and 4 months and toilet trained during the day. He was also toilet trained for a few months at night as well, very rarely wetting the bed. About 4 months ago he had an accident where he hurt his foot. Surgery was needed and 1 overnight stay in hospital. Since being home he has wet the bed every night and we have had to take a step back and put him back in pull-ups. Have you heard of this before? Can you explain it at all?

Boys bedwetting (4-10 y) · Asked by Cassie over 3 years ago

Dr Cathrine Answered:

Even though your son had been dry for a few months at night it is not unusual for children to regress in their development when faced with a stressful situation. This not only happens with nighttime continence but frequently we see children regress back to daytime wetting at times of stress. The three most common stressors triggering a return to bedwetting in children are the birth of a new sibling, starting school and being hospitalized or seeing a parent in hospital. So his trip to hospital may be the cause. Often children will stop wetting at night when whatever is causing the stress has been resolved. You need to talk to him and reassure him that you are there for him. It is also worth seeing if anything else is bothering him. Sometimes a stressful situation can result in a more generalized fear – is he too scared to get up and go to the toilet at night? Something as simple as leaving on a night light can make all the difference. If his bedwetting continues or he begins to wet again during the day then it is important that you see a GP to rule out any underlying medical cause.

Tags: hospital, stay, accident, surgery, stress

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