Is Bedwetting Hereditary?

Is bedwetting hereditary is one of the most common questions that parents ask their pediatricians. The short and definitive answer is: absolutely. Once you remove the stigma associated with bedwetting and begin to look at the number of children who wet the bed, and the bedwetting history of their parents, it is easy to see a common trend.

First, if neither one of the child’s parents wet the bed as a child, there is only a 15% chance that the child will experience some form of bedwetting past the age of four-years-old. This number increases dramatically from there. 44% of children wet if one parent wet the bed and a huge 77% wet if both parents did. This shows a high probability that bedwetting is hereditary.

Talk with your child

Talking about your bedwetting experiences may be embarrassing. However,  it can help your child feel less ashamed. Talk about your personal experiences with your spouse and ask them about theirs as well. Bedwetting is not routinely discussed in a relationship. Many couples find out their shared bedwetting experiences far into their marriage. By talking with your child about your own bedwetting as a kid, you will help them realize that it is not their fault. This will often turn around your child’s attitude about their bedwetting from frustration to understanding.

Finally, this would also be a good time to discuss options your child is dealing with their bedwetting. Explain to them there are many ways of coping with bedwetting that were not available to you. Talk about using products such as GoodNites or even medicines such as DDAVP.

Your child’s compassion and understanding are the key to helping your child cope with their bedwetting and helping them through their dry and wet nights.