it is perfectly normal for parents to feel worried as well as a little frustrated when their child continues to wet the bed at night. Urinary tract infections are much more common among girls than boys and are a frequent cause of bedwetting. Generally the first course of action is to schedule an appointment with your GP for treatment – if the UTI’s are ongoing it would be worthwhile discussing preventative measures, sometimes this is as simple as ensuring your daughter is drinking plenty of water at regular intervals throughout the day. One of the downsides of bedwetting is the social limitation it places on children, especially about sleepovers with friends. Children who wet the bed often sense they are somehow different from other children – if allowed to this feeling can impact negatively on their self-esteem and self-confidence. Sleepovers are an important social ritual – particularly when it comes to girls – I know my own 9-year-old daughter looks forward to these with great enthusiasm. The main reason she wants to avoid these is due to fear of being discovered so we need to think of ways we can help her to attend while keeping her bedwetting a secret. You could perhaps first try having a friend over to your house, this ensures she is in a familiar environment and will be able to discretely change into her DryNites just before bedtime – she could wear ‘noisy’ track pants to bed to disguise any sounds. There are medications that can be taken in short-term if she is not comfortable wearing her DryNites while at other people’s houses – you should discuss this with your GP. If her bedwetting continues it may be time to think about treatment options – bedwetting alarms experience very good outcomes and are typically more successful in reducing bedwetting in children who experience less frequent wetting like your daughter. Ask to be referred to a continence advisor if your doctor is not familiar with their use as their success depends on proper instruction as well as adequate support. Good luck!

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