Bedwetting and summer camp
July 7, 2009
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Jennifer Wilson-Speedy
Sleep-away camp can be an exciting time filled with new friends and new skills. But a fear of wetting the bed may be enough to keep some kids at home.
Three-quarters of Canadian parents feel that children who wet the bed often miss out on social experiences like camping, according to a recent survey*, conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of Ferring Pharmaceuticals (manufacturer of bedwetting drug DDAVP) and the Ontario Camps Association.
Additionally, 36 per cent of surveyed parents worry their child might not be able to cope with a medical condition while at camp, with bedwetting the number one health concern, at 53 per cent, above anxiety, 15 per cent, and obesity, 12 per cent.
These parental concerns, coupled with a child’s own fears of embarrassment, could mean a lot of kids are missing out, considering that up to 20 per cent of 5 year olds and 10 per cent of 10 year olds wet the bed; with 2.4 per cent of school-aged children doing so on a nightly basis. By age 15, 1 to 2 per cent of adolescents still experience problems with bedwetting.
But wetting the bed doesn’t mean your child has to skip summer camp. Here are some steps to get them sleepover ready:
Talk to your doctor
Toronto pediatrician Dr. Susan Coombs says there “absolutely” are children who aren’t going to camp because they wet the bed, but parents should know “it’s certainly possible to send a kid to overnight camp with this problem.”
Coombs says camp preparations should include a visit to your doctor, who will examine your child to ensure there are no underlying medical causes to their bedwetting, such as a urinary tract infection, and then work with you to treat the problem.
“There are ways to help kids so that they can go to camp,” says pediatrician Dr. Mark Feldman, Chair of the Canadian Paediatric Society's Community Pediatrics Committee, who gets asked about managing bedwetting for sleep-away camp “a lot.”
One option is medication desmopressin acetate, better known as DDAVP. This synthetic hormone, which is available as a melt, slows down the body’s production of urine overnight. (NOTE: The nasal spray form can no longer be prescribed to young children because it’s faster acting than the tablet formulation and, in some cases, electrolyte imbalance leading to water intoxication was reported.) Medications won’t work for all children.
If you start planning for camp season far enough in advance, a sleep alarm is another option, says Feldman, who is also a pediatrician at St Joseph's Health Centre and the Hospital for Sick Children. These alarms sound when moisture is detected, waking the child and encouraging them to go to the bathroom.
“In about 45 per cent of cases (a sleep alarm) can help,” he explains, adding it obviously wouldn’t accompany the child to camp. Alarms work best for mature kids who have primary nocturnal enuresis – children who regularly wet the bed at night and don’t wet during the day. It takes months for these alarms to be effective, so parents and children would need to start early.
Slim pull-ups could also help, if your child feels comfortable wearing them, suggest Coombs and Feldman. The disposable pants could be hidden in a plastic bag in the morning and later disposed of with a counsellor’s help.
Kids also need to be reassured that they’re not doing anything wrong, the doctors say.
Children “need to know that other kids do this, they also need to know that the camp has probably heard this before and is prepared to deal with it,” says Coombs.
Talk to the camp
Bedwetting is such a common problem that accredited camps should have systems in place to handle any incidents, says Aruna Ogale, Executive Director of the Ontario Camps Association.
“Camps are very discreet and handle all kinds of medical issues,” she says. “Each camp has protocols around anything to do with any kind of medical condition.”
Ogale says that camp directors will take all necessary steps to ensure your child’s self-confidence is never undermined in any way.
Before settling on a camp, speak with the director to discuss procedures for handling bedwetting, and to ensure you’re comfortable with their responses.
Once you and your child have agreed on a camp, make sure both the director and your child’s counsellor are aware of your concerns, as well as any medical directives that need to be followed, such as medication dosages or limiting fluids in the hours leading up to bedtime. This will help the camp prepare to handle any incidents discreetly.
Ogale also suggests using regular sleepovers as a test run for sleep-away camp, to help your child practice methods for staying dry and other camp experiences, such as dealing with being away from home. A trusted friend or family member might make a good host for such a trial-run.
Talk to your child
It’s important to discuss any concerns your child may have and come up with ways he or she can handle them. Making them part of the camp planning process should also help calm their nerves. Some things to discuss:
* Remind your child that bedwetting is a common problem, and it’s likely other campers will have the same fears.
* Encourage your child to choose a bottom bunk, which makes it easier to get to the bathroom during the night.
* If your child is taking medication, teach them how to manage their doses.
* Plan to pack a flashlight, to make late night trips to the toilet less scary, as well as extra pajamas and underwear that can be stowed under their pillow for a quick change in case they wet the bed.
* Consider bag liners for sleeping bags, which can be washed if something happens, saving your child from having to change bags (and the prospect of other campers noticing) if theirs gets wet.
* Share what you learned from the camp director about what your child should do if they wet the bed, and reassure them about the camp’s efforts to keep it quiet, such as changing the bedding after all the children have left the cabin for the day.
* Once you arrive at camp, make sure your child finds the bathroom and knows how to get there from their cabin. Point out landmarks or signs to help them memorize the way. Then head home and let your child enjoy sleep-away camp!
* Survey was conducted in early May using Leger Marketing’s web panel. A total of 576 interviews were completed by Canadian adults who have children between the ages of 5 and 16. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.