Treating Paediatric Bed-wetting with Chinese Medicine

Most children achieve night-time dryness by the age of four or five, but it is estimated that 20% of five-year-olds experience nocturnal enuresis (bed-wetting). In addition, 3% of 12-year-olds and 1% of 15+ year olds continue to suffer from bed-wetting. Research shows that only 38% of parents seek medical assistance. Unfortunately, doing nothing is the worst thing a parent can do when dealing with their child’s nocturnal enuresis because the child only has a 15% chance of growing out of their problem by their next birthday. Nocturnal enuresis is one of the problems most frequently addressed by paediatric specialists of TCM today and is often treated successfully. This article introduces the reader to nocturnal enuresis according to both modern and traditional Chinese medicine with reference to a single case history.