Your doctor will want to know if you have a family history of bedwetting and will ask other questions to rule out some of the uncommon medical causes of the condition. She’ll want to know about your child’s bowel habits since constipation or large infrequent stools can affect the bladder function. She may also ask about your child’s gait and any leg weakness to rule out a spinal cord problem.

All children who wet the bed should have a urine test, says Dr. Bennett. “We screen the urine to make sure there are no signs of diabetes. We also want to make sure there is no urinary tract infection which would need to be treated.” Once underlying causes are ruled out, your doctor will discuss bedwetting treatment options, such as behavioural changes (See Dealing with bedwetting).

Be sure to speak up at the appointment. “Although parents would like to talk about bedwetting with their child’s doctor, most feel uncomfortable initiating the conversation and more than half the time at routine checkups, doctors don’t even ask,” says Dr. Bennett. “If a child is wetting after having been dry or after age 5, parents should ask their doctors because there are things we can do.”