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# bed-wetting
The impact of bed-wetting on Irish mothers
Over two thirds said they were sad their child has to cope with bed-wetting, while 68 per cent were stressed by changing bed sheets.
WORRY, STRESS AND frustration are how mothers of children who wet the bed describe how they feel with over two thirds admitting that they were sad their child has to cope with the condition and 68 per cent said they were stressed by repeatedly changing bed sheets.
In a study launched by the ’No More Nappies’ campaign and Bedwetting.ie, 44 per cent of parents waited up to six months to a year before seeking medical advice because they did not know the early signs of bed-wetting, with almost half saying they thought it was because their child was not yet potty trained.
According to mothers, the three main causes of bed-wetting in children over the age of five, was either laziness or not wanting to wake up, followed by a medical condition or a small bladder.
However, bed-wetting usually occurs when children produce a large amount of fluid at night; this is caused by low night time levels of the vasopressin hormone. Most children who wet the bed have a normal bladder, but some have a smaller capacity to retain urine. Children who wet the bed do not wake to the signals the bladder sends when it is full.
Dr Nick Van Der Spek, Consultant Pediatrician, Cavan General Hospital said bet-wetting is a treatable condition:
Bed-wetting can be a distressing condition for many parents, and in my experience, general awareness of bed-wetting as a treatable condition is quite low. Any mums who are worried or stressed should seek immediate advice from their GP, consult Bedwetting.ie or join me at 7pm on Mon, November 19 on EU Mom’s Facebook page, where I would be happy to answer any questions parents might have on the condition.
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