By Roberta Gayode Modin
Paediatric Nephrologist at the University of Ghana Medical School, Dr. Beatrice Irene Nyann has discouraged Ghanaians from associating bedwetting in children to spirituality.
Dr. Nyann defined bedwetting as a chronic condition where a child bed wets involuntarily while asleep, whether day or night.
She also added that a child can be categorized as suffering from enuresis, a scientific term for bedwetting, when he or she bed wets after age 5.
According to her, bedwetting in children is a normal part of a child’s development.
“It is a condition that is very common in children, and it is said to be the second most common condition in children but as the child grows older, then the prevalence becomes lower,” Dr. Nyann explained.
Small bladder, sleeping disorders, and dysfunctional hormonal surges are some of the general causes of enuresis.
She also advised that children suffering from bedwetting should not be allowed to drink close to bedtime, limit sugar intake and parent engaged in periodic lifting or awaking of children to remedy the situation.
She also advised the public to desist from tagging children suffering from enuresis as ” bed wetters” stating that the term is demeaning.