Bedwetting is a problem that can make children feel shame and reduce confidence while also making parents feel frustrated. The emotional and psychological effects have been fairly well known for decades, but solutions to the problem only had moderate success. Behavior modification and scheduled drinking or restroom breaks often did not solve the issue. Two professors have recently studied the introduction of specific exercises to help build specific muscles around a child’s pelvis floor. These muscles seem to have developed more slowly, likely contributing to the child being unable to hold their urine while they slept. Over the course of the study, children were taught to do the exercises under the guise of playing games, making it easier to integrate the routine into a daily schedule without fighting about it.
By doing the exercises every morning and night for 16 weeks, 86% of participants reported that the problem had been resolved. What the professors pointed to as one of the best things about this is that there is no cost or need visit the doctor to do it. It’s just a matter of playing a new game twice a day. While there is a time investment, it is easier than the other less reliable methods, such as waking children in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. The fact that it is free should help parents and children start tackling the problem with more hope.
For more details about the study and what inspired the professors to begin the study, check out Medical Breakthrough Ends Trauma for Bedwetting Children.