It is important that a medical assessment is done to rule out the possibility of the bedwetting occurring due to an infection or a physical problem.
A small number of children respond to major upheavals in their lives such as death in the family, separation of parents or other major changes by wetting the bed. There are a range of psychological support services to assist children with these problems. Referrals to these services can be made by the family doctor (GP) or a paediatrician.
In Western Australia there are bedwetting (enuresis) clinics based in the community and some hospitals. The treatment provided by these clinics is the mat and alarm (bell and pad) system, combined with coaching and support from a nurse who has been trained to provide this program.
Bladder and Bowel Health Australia provides a private billing (fee for service) bed wetting clinic for children from our clinic in Victoria Park. Our qualified continence nurse will coach and support your child to overcome bed wetting using a mat and alarm system. Contact us for more information or to make a booking.
The program consists of using a rubber mat that goes on the child’s bed. The mat is connected to a battery powered box that contains an alarm. The alarm sounds when the child starts to wet and is designed to be loud enough to wake the child up. The aim of using the mat and alarm is to train the child to develop an awareness of bladder fullness when they are asleep, and wake themselves up and go to the toilet.
A key component of the program is the supervision and support from a health care professional who will coach the child on using the mat and alarm. Advice and support are also given on good bladder and bowel habits, including diet and fluid intake.