March 4, 2003
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Anderson, South Carolina, USA:
Unless we wake my six year old son up two or three times a night to urinate, he will wet the bed. He is very athletic and constantly active. He has had a continuous problem with ringworm of the scalp. My mother’s brother was diagnosed in the 1950s with “infantile kidneys” and died at the age of ten. I am Caucasian and his father is African American. I understand the African Americans may have problems eradicating the problem of ringworm of the scalp, and I understand that skin problems are common in people with diabetes. Should I be concerned?
Answer:
I doubt this is diabetes. There are several conditions that can cause to bedwetting, the most common being a benign, non-worrisome issue that is often best treated with behavioral modification. Speak to your son’s pediatrician about bedwetting, behavior changes, use of a moisture alarm and to address the issue of ongoing ringworm (to be sure that is all that it is).
DS
