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Dr Catherine
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Boy
8-15 years

My Son age 12 is wetting the bed , but hiding the fact he has done it , and sometimes denying it.

It is perfectly understandable for your son to be embarrassed by his bedwetting. The first and most important thing to do is to make him aware that you know and to reassure him that his bedwetting is not something he needs to hide from you - that together you can deal with this and help him to stop. I am assuming from your question that your son has not always wet the bed and that this is a new occurrence. Secondary Nocturnal Enuresis (SNE) describes a situation where a child has achieved nighttime dryness for a period of at least 6 months then begins to wet the bed again. While urinary tract infections are often the most common cause, psychological factors such as a traumatic experience like being bullied at school or family stresses like divorce may also result in a return to bedwetting. Children who take longer to achieve nighttime continence are also at greater risk of returning to bedwetting at times of stress. When children return to bedwetting or daytime wetting after a significant period of dryness it is very important to first have a thorough physical exam with your GP to rule out anything health-related. Until his wetting is resolved you need to help him manage the situation so that it has minimal impact on his self-esteem and self-confidence. There are some tips listed on the DryNites website that you may find helpful. All the best, Dr Cathrine