Wet Child Can Dampen Travel Plans
Tips and ideas for traveling with a child who bedwet include the use of disposable garments, sleepingbags, medication, and enuresis alarms and are based on information from the TRY for DRY Program at Children's Memorial Hospital.
(PRWEB) June 5, 2005 -- Wet pants, wet hotel beds or ruining Aunt Mary's
mattress can put a lot of stress on a family vacation. Bedwetting keeps many
children from a variety of social opportunities that involve overnight stays.
For parents who like to travel, a child who wets can dampen your plans as well.
Staying home may be okay for some people but the good news is that bedwetting
can be overcome.
Bedwetting (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.
Simply stated, it is believed that the underlying reason a child
with enuresis wets at night is that the brain and bladder do not communicate
well when he or she is sleeping. Contributing to this miscommunication is the
fact that nearly all children who wet are deep sleepers. 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 option is
the use of an enuresis alarm, which is a small battery operated device that the
child wears while asleep.
There are several enuresis alarm models
available. The price is generally under one hundred dollars and all work
essentially the same way. A moisture sensor connected to a small alarm or buzzer
is attached to the child's undergarment. When the sensor detects the first drop
of moisture the alarm sounds. Over a period of typically 3 to 8 weeks the child
begins to get "in tune" with the signals from the bladder and the alarm is no
longer needed. Through the proper use of an enuresis alarm nearly all children
who wet can easily learn to overcome their bedwetting.
It is suggested
that the alarm be worn every night until your child has achieved fourteen
consecutive dry days and nights. A short investment in time now may allow you to
hit the road for that perfect stress free family road trip and save you from
years of future wet nights. Statistically about 15% of eight year-olds wet the
bed nightly and about 3% of fifteen year-olds have never been dry. So consider
taking action sooner than later.
Ideally you will begin the use of an
enuresis alarm about 6 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 have a negative
effect on your child's self-esteem we do not encourage the use of the alarm when
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.
There is a
pharmaceutical alternative called desmopressin that may be effective for some
children. It often has immediate results but is generally useful only as long as
the child continues its use. For this reason it is recommended that children who
exercise this option discontinue the medication and continue the alarm therapy
once they return home. To learn more about alarms and medication read the book
"Getting to Dry - How to Help Your Child Overcome Bedwetting" by Dr. Max
Maizels, Professor of Urology at Northwestern University Medical School. The
book is available online at TRYforDRY.com or at your local bookstore or
library.
One tip that may make your travel more comfortable is to travel
with a sleeping bag. Older children have good success discreetly slipping in and
out of disposable undergarments while inside. The disposable can then be put
into a plastic bag and trashed. A sleeping bag is also helpful for younger
children as it can further protect other people's mattresses from potentially
leaky diapers and can be easily laundered.
If you have a child that wets
during the day, be sure to schedule plenty of rest stops and potty breaks. Bring
extra pants and undergarments in a tote bag or backpack so they are easily
accessible and can be carried along when you are on foot. Be sure to have some
plastic bags for wet clothes. Many hotels and motels have coin operated
laundries. Inquire in advance to be sure that your hotel has this convenience
and request a room nearby. Laundry detergent with borax will significantly
reduce odors associated with wetting.
Planning ahead will help to make
wetting incidents minimally disruptive to your family's fun. Remember that
shaming your child will not help and may only result in making him feel bad
about himself.
If you follow these tips you will see there are several
things you can do to be prepared, so have a great vacation and don't let a wet
bed dampen your family's travel plans.
Reno Lovison is the marketing
director and educational coordinator for the TRY for DRY program and lent
editorial assistance to the book "Getting to Dry."
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb247453.htm