It is not unusual for children with developmental delays to develop nighttime continence somewhat later than the usual age range. The majority of these children do outgrow this on their own. Not all treatments work with all children so your lack of success so far may have nothing at all to do with your daughter’s developmental delay. There are a number of alternative treatments available – these include acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic care (this involves treating the bladder through manipulation of the lower spine and pelvis) – although I recommend that you speak either with your GP or a continence advisor before trying these treatments. If you are interested in trying chiropractic treatment you should first contact the Chiropractic Association of Australia http://chiropractors.asn.au (1800 075 003) who will be able to recommend someone in your area that has experience in treating children’s bedwetting. Hypnotherapy has also been successfully used to help children achieve nighttime continence. This can be used on its own or in combination with the conditioning alarm. Your best point of contact for hypnotherapy is the Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association http://www.ahahypnotherapy.org.au/, which has branches in each state. They also have a free advisory line: 1800 067 557. Some children who wet the bed may benefit from restricting certain foods from their diet. There are a number of ways you can try and determine whether food intolerances are contributing to her bedwetting. The easiest (and safest) approach would be to visit a Naturopath. They may recommend you begin an elimination diet, removing all foods from her diet that could be affecting her bedwetting, then you carefully reintroduce the foods, one at a time. Good Luck!

Regards,
Dr Cathrine

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