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bedwetting
Just one in ten parents seek GP help about child's bedwetting
New research has also shown that children are missing out on summer activities because they wet the bed.
NEW RESEARCH HAS shown parents of children who wet the bed rarely seek advice from their GP and many keep the problem a secret from others.
The results of a survey were published today by the Search for a Dry Bed campaign, with the research focusing on the pattern of bedwetting during the summer months.
It showed that almost a third of parents say their child misses out on summer activities such as sleepovers with friends and family and camping trips due to wetting the bed with 62 per cent of children continuing to wet the bed regularly while away from home.
Over a third of parents also said that their own summer holiday is affected by their child wearing pull-ups, having to remember to pack disposable bed mats and extra supplies. Data shows 14 per cent of parents said they become more anxious that their child will wet the bed during the summer holidays, and they will have to inform others that their child may have an accident.
25 per cent of parents said they do not tell others about their child’s bedwetting and just one in ten go to their GP to seek help, despite reporting that their child suffers self-confidence issues and low moods as a result.
The most common methods used to prevent bed wetting during the summer months were restricting late-night drinks, mot making an issue of it and praising them when they are not wet.
Speaking today, consultant pediatrician at Cavan General Hospital, Dr Nick Van Der Spek, said he would encourage any parent coping with a child that wets the bed to visit their GP, their local public health nurse or the campaign’s website to seek “immediate advice”.
Van Der Spek will host a live Q&A on the topic on the Mummypages.ie Facebook page at 7pm on 23 May to provide parents with the opportunity to ask any questions about the condition, how to cope, and how to properly treat the condition. In addition, the campaign will host a children’s creative writing workshop in early June for some parents and their children who may have participated in the live interactive session on Mummypages.ie.
Read: The impact of bed-wetting on Irish mothers>
Read: Survey shows 47 per cent of GPs think bedwetting is hereditary>
