In non bed-wetters, ADH levels increase at night, leading to a decrease in urine production. Parents who wake bed-wetting children interrupt the child's sleeping patterns, as well as their own. Yet, only 15 percent of bed-wetting children will spontaneously outgrow the condition each year, and some continue to be affected until adulthood. Of all the negative emotions, shame is the most devastating for the child, as it often leads to the greatest number of disruptions in personality development. Such disruptions may reveal themselves in poor school performance, antisocial behavior, isolation, and depression.
Treatment begins with a thorough history, a physical exam, and a urinalysis.
The physician will then decide how the child should be treated and provide the parents and child with information and counseling. Treatments for PNE may include behavioral modification and drug therapy. The main behavioral modification technique used is a signal alarm device or moisture alarm, where a child gradually learns to associate bladder fullness with a conditioned response. Many medications have been recommended for treating the bed-wetting child. The most commonly used medications may include nasal sprays and tricyclic antidepressants.