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A
child who wets can dampen your travel plans. By Reno Lovison
(advertorial)
Bedwetting precludes many children from a variety of social opportunities
that involve overnight stays, and for parents who like to travel, a child
who wets can dampen your plans as well. The good news is that bedwetting
can be overcome.
It's important to note that bedwetting
or "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
she is no more responsible for her
wetting then she is for choosing the
color of her eyes. Also, you are not
alone. According to the National Kidney
Foundation approximately 5 million
children wet the bed every night.
The TRY for DRY team based at Children's
Memorial Hospital in Chicago offers this
advice. In order to effect 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 at every night until he or she
has achieved fourteen consecutive dry
days and nights. The process is not instant
and can take from 3 weeks to 3 months
until the child has obtained this goal. However
this short investment in time now can
save you from years of future wet nights.
Annually about 3% of children will become
dry on their own, but why wait and see.
Statistically about 15 % of eight year-olds
wet the bed nightly and about 5% of fifteen
year-olds have never been dry. So be
proactive and take action sooner than
later.
Ideally you will begin the use of an enuresis alarm 8 to 10 weeks before
any planned trip or vacation, but if you do not have that luxury there
are still some things you can do. Begin the use of the alarm at home before
you leave, even if it is just for a few weeks. You can consider the continued
use of the alarm while you are staying in a hotel if it is just your own
family in the room. Since teasing may ultimately be more harmful to your
child's self-esteem we do not encourage the use of the alarm when the
child is at overnight camp or sleeping at other people's homes, particularly
if there is a chance that he or she might be ridiculed for bedwetting.
For many children there is a pharmaceutical alternative called DDAVP which
may be effective. This medication distributed by Aventis Pasteur, Inc.
often has immediate results but is generally only useful as long as the
child continues its use. For this reason it is recommended that you continue
the alarm therapy when you return home. Other tips that may make your travel more comfortable is the use of pull-ups
or other disposable undergarments as well as an ample supply of disposable
bed liners. We do not encourage the continued use of these items as they
are expensive over time and may have a tendency to make older children
feel infantile. One good approach is to travel with a sleeping bag. Older
children have good success discreetly slipping in and out of their disposable
undergarments while inside the bag. The disposable can then be put into
a plastic bag and trashed. For smaller children the sleeping bag is also
effective as it can further protect other people's mattresses from potentially
leaky diapers and can be easily laundered. To learn more about bedwetting read "Getting to Dry- How to help your
child overcome bedwetting" published by Harvard Common Press or visit
http://www.tryfordry.com for information
about enuresis alarms and DDAVP. Copyright ©2002. You may freely reprint this article if it is used
in its entirety.
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WRITER'S BIO  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. In addition to TRY for DRY he is the owner of Reno
Lovison Marketing in Chicago providing marketing services to growing
businesses.
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