Understanding the underlying causes of nocturnal enuresis

Nocturnal enuresis, or bedwetting, is now a recognised medical condition from the age of five years, but it was long thought to be no more than a common childhood condition that most children grow out of. It was never given high clinical priority and, as a result, treatment was often not started until a child was aged over seven years, despite guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to begin treatment from five years.¹

Emerging research shows that bedwetting is not the benign condition we once thought, and delaying assessment and treatment can have a serious impact on the child’s health and wellbeing.