Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, is a common challenge for many families, but it may have more implications than just nighttime frustrations. A recent study suggests that children who struggle with bedwetting could be experiencing underlying vitamin deficiencies.
A child is considered to have primary nocturnal enuresis when they involuntarily urinate during the night, despite having reached the age at which bladder control is usually expected. It could be due to several reasons including small bladder size, abnormal sleep patterns, increased urine production at night, and delayed development of the central nervous system. Other factors such as stress, anxiety, and family history may increase the risk.
A recent study published in the Annals of Medicine suggests that children with primary nocturnal enuresis may be more likely to have vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency, and a deficiency in vitamin B12.
The findings were based on an analysis of 288 children who visited an outpatient clinic at the Children's Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt, for nocturnal enuresis. While vitamin D insufficiency affected 48.3% of them, 31.3% had vitamin D deficiency and 25% experienced Vitamin B12 deficiency.
The study found that lower levels of vitamin D had a stronger association with more bedwetting episodes than low levels of vitamin B12. Specifically, if a child's vitamin D levels fell below 13.7 ng/mL, they were more likely to struggle with bedwetting. The researchers suggest that maintaining higher vitamin D levels, along with behavioral treatments were protective factors that increased the chances of dry nights.
"Vitamin D insufficiency may be the most prevalent vitamin D abnormality in children with primary nocturnal enuresis. Vitamin D insufficiency may be more common in children with severe enuresis than vitamin B12 deficiency. This study may invite further research to examine the possible use of vitamin D and vitamin B12 as potential adjuvant therapies for children with primary nocturnal enuresis," the researchers wrote.
The study also explains how vitamin D affects bladder functions. Vitamin D receptors are present in both the bladder muscle and the lining, which means it plays a role in how the bladder works. When vitamin D is sufficient, it helps reduce unwanted bladder contractions by calming the sensory signals when the bladder is filling. However, when a child has low vitamin D levels, they may experience uncontrolled bladder contractions. Low vitamin D levels can raise the risk of repeated urinary tract infections, which can lead to bladder issues.
Based on the study findings, researchers recommend screening children with nocturnal enuresis for levels of vitamin D and vitamin B12 which may not be detected otherwise.
