Back-to-School Bedwetting
The start of school is chance for many children to reinvent themselves and get a fresh start. Use this time of renewal to help your child overcome bedwetting.
CHICAGO (PRWEB) August 14, 2005 -- Waking up in a wet bed is not a good way
to start the school day. According to the National Kidney Foundation
approximately 5 million children wet the bed every night. The majority of these
children have never been dry and many are teenagers. If you are the parent of
one of these kids, or a concerned adult you can imagine the serious impact
unresolved bedwetting can have in regard to a child's self-esteem. This is
perhaps the most important reason to be proactive in seeking a solution to this
uncomfortable and often embarrassing situation.
It is important to note
that a child does not need to be ashamed of a condition over which he or she has
no control. Bedwetting referred to by the medical community as "pediatric
nocturnal enuresis," is not a result of a "lazy child" or bad parenting. Most
likely your child's wetting has a genetic basis. Therefore your child is no more
responsible for bedwetting then he is for choosing the color of his eyes. It is
a fact that we inherit from our parents both good and sometimes not-so-good
traits. Just as some kids are tall and others short. Just as some kids have
asthma and some don't. Some kids have difficulty controlling their bladder while
asleep and some do just fine.
It is generally accepted that a good way
to start the day is to begin with a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast.
It is also generally assumed that the day has begun in a comfortable snuggly dry
bed. Most of us just take that part for granted. Imagine what it is like for the
millions of children who awake with wet pajamas, wet undergarments, wet sheets
and soiled mattresses. Many children have learned to cope. Some have never
experienced anything else and simply choose to ignore it. Some plan ahead and
employ the use of diapers, pull-ups, plastic pants and bed liners. Others have
devised, often elaborate, methods to disguise the daily offense. These kids will
hide or destroy their wet things or sneak off and do their own laundry. Making
matters worse, uninformed ridicule and derision from siblings, parents and
classmates is very painful and may lead to long-term psychological
effects.
The beginning of the new school year is a good time to begin new
habits and generally get a fresh start. If you are the parent of a child who
wets, why not use this time to create a new beginning for your child. Helping
your child to overcome bedwetting will boost self-esteem give him greater
confidence and a feeling of accomplishment. There are several things you can do.
Begin by reading the book "Getting to Dry" (Harvard Common Press). This book
outlines the successful step-by-step method of treating pediatric enuresis
developed and used by the TRY for DRY Team at Children's Memorial Hospital in
Chicago. For some children there is a pharmaceutical alternative called DDAVP
distributed by Aventis Pharmaceuticals which may be effective. This medication
often has immediate results but is generally only useful as long as the child
continues its use. Director of the TRY for DRY Program, Pediatric Urologist, Dr.
Max Maizels suggests that in order to affect a permanent long-term "cure" for
bedwetting, your child's "best bet" will be the use of an enuresis alarm. This
small device is worn every night until he or she has achieved fourteen
consecutive dry days and nights. Dr. Maizels says, to “have patience,” the
process can take from 3 weeks to 3 months until the child has obtained this
goal. A typical alarm based program will cost about $100, which compares to less
than three months of disposable diapers. Annually about 3% of children will
become dry on their own, but why wait and see. Be proactive and take action
sooner than later. This small investment now can save you from years of future
wet nights.
Dr. Maizels suggests that before school begins, discuss
bedwetting with your child's pediatrician or primary healthcare practitioner.
You can also visit www.tryfordry.com to learn more about the treatment options
mentioned here as well as information about purchasing enuresis alarms and the
"Getting to Dry" book.
Reno Lovison is the marketing director and
education coordinator for the TRY for DRY program headed by Dr. Max Maizels at
Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Mr. Lovison offered editorial
assistance to the publication of "Getting to Dry" and has been a member of the
TRY for DRY team since 1994.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/8/prweb272508.htm