Helping Children with Enuresis
On any given day, there may be 5,000 patients in China who are treated at outpatient clinics for this biological/medical problem. Wow - that is a startling statistic!
The Child Enuresis Awareness and Education Program was initiated by Project HOPE at the Shanghai Children’s Medical Center in 2010. The overall goals of the program are to improve the treatment and education of children suffering from enuresis (bedwetting) in China.
Recently, Project HOPE held a group therapy class for caretakers and parents of children suffering from enuresis. Recruitment for this class happens when parents and caretakers bring their children who are suffering from enuresis to outpatient clinics. Jenny Xu of Project HOPE informed me that on any given day, there may be 5,000 patients who are treated at outpatient clinics for this problem. Wow – that is a startling statistic!
The parents’ group therapy class was well attended. Over 50 parents and caretakers were in attendance. The session was co-taught by a social worker and a pediatrician who specializes in endocrinology and urology. These experts discussed the physical processes that go on in a child’s body that result in the underdevelopment of the bladder and –as a consequence – bedwetting.
The social worker and pediatrician also discussed the psychological issues involved with the disorder – from parental anguish to the child’s embarrassment. The pediatrician taught the parents techniques to train the child’s bladder. The physician and social worker also discussed pharmaceutical products that can be used if various other techniques alone do not produce the desired result.
Most importantly, the pediatrician explained that enuresis is a biological/medical problem. It should not be a source of anguish because there are proven methods to help children enlarge their bladders and develop better bladder control.