enuresis

n.

the involuntary passing of urine. The most common form is bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) by children (the majority of children are dry during the day by the age of three years and at night by four). Nocturnal enuresis is occasionally caused by underlying disorders of the urinary tract, particularly infection, but in the majority of children the problem is behavioural; there is often a family history. The condition usually settles spontaneously as the child grows older, but it may persist into teenage – and rarely adult – life. It can be treated by behavioural techniques, such as the use of a nocturnal alarm (see bell and pad) or reinforcement of periods of continence with a reward system, or by drug treatment. Enuresis that starts in adulthood is usually associated with a disorder of the bladder, a side-effect of medication, or a neurological disease, such as multiple sclerosis.

See also: incontinence

Derivatives:

enuretic adj.