Hi Shona – While it is true that some children are able to outgrow bedwetting on their own, other children benefit from more formal interventions. Given the frequency and amount he is wetting it is unlikely that he is going to outgrow this sometime soon. While his bedwetting may be the result of delayed development you also need to investigate whether there is any underlying medical issue. A small number of children wet the bed because they do not produce enough of the anti-diuretic hormone ADH. If nighttime ADH levels are low, children produce the same amount of urine at night as throughout the day. If this is the cause, children will continue to wet the bed at night until their body begins to produce more of this hormone. The nasal spray is like a synthetic version of ADH, which is designed to inhibit the amount of urine produced by the kidneys overnight. While some children do stop wetting the bed after its use, a common problem with this form of treatment is that once children stop the medication the bedwetting often resumes. This form of treatment has met with more success when used in conjunction with a bedwetting alarm so that may be a better way to go. I would recommend that you discuss this further with a continence specialist before embarking on any form of treatment.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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