5 Years Old Still Wetting the Wet, Is It Normal Or A Sign Of Health Problems?

Children like to wet the bed, it has become a common problem. You too as a parent must have had a way to teach children to stop wetting the bed . However, what if the child still wets the bed even though he is five or six years old? Is it still normal? Check out the full review below.
Until what age is bedwetting still normal?

Bedwetting (enuresis) is a disorder that is often found in children. This disorder is not something that is intentionally done by children or a form of laziness in children. The habit of wetting the bed will actually continue to decrease with age.

Before the age of five, the habit of bedwetting in children can still be considered normal. This begins gradually, starting at the age of over three years, children generally no longer wet the bed during the day.

According to the Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI), a child is said to be abnormal for bedwetting if this habit occurs continuously or persists over the age of five years .

This is why children who still wet the bed must receive proper treatment because it can cause urinary tract infections, cause stress, and lack confidence in children.

What if a five year old child still wets the bed?

Although the child will be able to control his own bladder later, this will happen at different ages.

Reporting from the National Sleep Foundation , the habit of bedwetting in children aged five years or older needs to get supervision from a pediatrician if it occurs more than 2-3 times per month or wets the bed during the day and night on a regular basis.

Bedwetting can affect a child's social life from the age of six or seven. This can cause children to be embarrassed and less confident when in their social environment.

Take for example, they will feel embarrassed because they are ridiculed by their brother or sister. When they have to stay at a friend's house, they will be anxious for fear of being caught wet.

Actually, there are many causes of bedwetting in children, including the following.

1.     The child does not wake up when the bladder is full
2.     Some children produce excess urine during sleep
3.     Some children have bladders that cannot hold as much urine as others

Starting at the age of three, children will learn to go to the bathroom during the day and at night as their bodies begin to produce a substance called antidiuretic hormone (ADH).

This hormone inhibits urine production. As they get older , children will be more sensitive to hold urine so it is easier to prevent bedwetting.

If after the age of five your child is still wetting the bed, it is probably because the child is still not producing enough ADH hormone at the right time and has not been able to pick up signals from the brain that the bladder is full of urine.

As a result, the child does not wake up or only dreams of going to the bathroom so that he ends up wetting the bed.

Does the child still wet the bed because of a health problem?

Simply put, bed-wetting is a sign that the child is not mature enough to control his bodily functions.

The reason, holding urine is a process that involves the coordination of muscles, nerves, spinal cord, and brain. These functions will mature with age.

However, bedwetting can also be a sign of health problems such as urinary tract obstruction, constipation, diabetes, or not drinking enough water. For example, when a child is constipated , the large intestine will be full and pressurize the bladder.

Well, to find out if your child is constipated, you can monitor the intensity of your child's bowel movements. Normal bowel movements range from three times a day to four times a week.

So, how to distinguish bedwetting caused by immature body functions or health problems? This can be seen from how often children wet the bed.

If it occurs every day in a row, then the habit of bedwetting is caused by the immaturity of body functions. While bedwetting that is triggered by health problems is usually less common, usually occurs after the child has not wet the bed for six months or more.

Even if it's only occasionally, if your child is still wetting the bed at the age of five to seven, you need to see a doctor for a check-up.

If it is caused by a health problem, then you should undergo a urine test to see if there are kidney problems or urinary tract infections.