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Home › Expert Q&A › Child Development And Behavior › Preteenagers And Teenagers › My daughter is 13, and she has the most beautiful mindset (about bedwetting). She can joke with her family and close friends; however, I know that this is troubling her a great deal. Can you offer her some advice or promise on if this can be corrected?

Expert Q&A

 

By Jenny Lewis, M.D.
Pediatrician

My daughter is 13, and she has the most beautiful mindset (about bedwetting). She can joke with her family and close friends; however, I know that this is troubling her a great deal. Can you offer her some advice/promise on if this can be corrected?

It's wonderful that your daughter has such a positive attitude. That will certainly make it easier to work out whatever is going on. At her age, about one percent of kids still have bedwetting occurrences on a regular basis. Many are defensive, ashamed and oftentimes socially isolated because they may not do sleepovers or go to camp, etc. which just complicates everything.

I assume that her physician is aware of the bedwetting and has sorted out whether there are any kidney function abnormalities, possible urinary tract infections or anatomic abnormalities, irregularities on a restricted fluid regime, urinalysis and blood chemistries. In addition, I assume he/she has been monitoring any atypical pattern of physical growth and development, including head circumference or presences of intracranial bruits. I think a complete neurological/ophthalmologic exam should be done.

Encourage your daughter to do her own laundry rather than do it for her. If this does not work, you might want to then pursue psychological counseling since you think this is bothering her despite the great attitude. You might try to engage her in a heart-to-heart conversation first just to explore. Tell her you're surprised that she's so forthright about it since you notice she's really worried (whatever it is that makes you think this). She may be able to talk this out on her own. If she is troubled but can't verbalize it, and there isn't a clear medical cause, then get her some professional help.

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