Hi D.T. – there are a number of causes to bedwetting and genetics certainly has a role to play. We typically say that if one parent wet the bed as a child then their children have a 44% chance of also experiencing nighttime incontinence; this increases to about 77% if both parents wet the bed. We generally find that children achieve continence about the same age that their parent did. The good news is that parents who wet the bed are often much better equipped to support their children through this process and are often more aware of management strategies and treatment options. Some parents have experienced success with the use of more alternative treatments like hypnotherapy (which can be used in combination with the conditioning alarm), naturopathy or chiropractic manipulation. In the meantime it is important that you try and ensure his nighttime incontinence does not restrict his activities or prevent him from accepting social invitations – it’s often helpful to talk to parents or friends before staying overnight and prearrange a place where he can discretely change his clothes or dispose of his. The less the bedwetting interferes with his life the better he will feel about himself.

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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