According to the Continence Foundation Australia, 3 to 5 per cent of children aged between five and 17 have a daytime wetting problem.
One-third of these children and teens will also experience bedwetting. Day wetting is more common in girls than boys, however, boys have more bedwetting issues than girls.
About 1 to 3 per cent of children and teens experience soiling(faecal incontinence), which can be in addition to daytime wetting or bedwetting.
If children aged 4 years and over experience regular incontinence (day wetting, bedwetting or faecal incontinence), advice from a health professional is recommended.
Bedwetting (also called nocturnal enuresis) happens when the bladder empties without permission during sleep. Bedwetting is very common with approximately 1 in 5 children in Australia wetting the bed.
It is important to seek help for bedwetting if:
- the child who has been dry suddenly starts wetting at night
- the wetting is frequent after school age
- the wetting bothers the child or makes them upset or angry, or
- the child wants to become dry.
It is best to seek help from a health professional with special training in children's bladders.
To find a service provider in your area visit our continence service provider directory or contact the National Continence Helpline on free call 1800 33 00 66. It is a multi-disciplinary service for children of all ages with urinary and/or faecal incontinence ( enuresis, encopresis, day or night wetting, soiling) of congenital or acquired origin.
The Victorian Children’s Continence Clinic offers a skilled assessment of bladder and bowel dysfunction using state of the art equipment by qualified and experienced paediatric continence Physiotherapists. The management is evidence-based and promotes the philosophy of the International Children’s Continence Society.
