If your child's doctor has used the words "enuresis" or "encopresis" recently, you might have walked out of that appointment with more questions than answers. They sound clinical and a little scary — but the good news is, both are well understood, really common, and mostly treatable. So let's break them down to find out what's happening and how to make things a lot more manageable.

So, What's Enuresis?

Enuresis is the medical term for unexpected bladder leaks.

There are two types. Nocturnal enuresis is the nighttime version — bedwetting during sleep. Diurnal enuresis is the daytime kind — bladder leaks that happen while your child is wide awake and going about their day. Some kids experience a bit of both, which is more common than most parents realise.

Enuresis can be primary — meaning your child has never quite got to consistent dryness, or secondary, where they had it figured out for a period of time before the leaks came back. Secondary enuresis is worth talking about with your doctor, because something new could be going on — a UTI, a stressful change at school, or something else worth knowing about.

And here's something really important: surprise wees are never on purpose. The bladder could still be maturing, sleep cycles might be too deep to catch the signals early, or it just might be genetic. Other contributors include constipation, anxiety, and ADHD. It's almost always something physical that just needs support. 

And What About Encopresis?

Encopresis is when a child accidentally does poos somewhere other than the toilet. It's talked about far less than bladder leaks, which means a lot of parents are surprised when it happens. And a lot of parents assume their child is being stubborn or lazy. We can't say this enough: they're not. Encopresis is almost always rooted in constipation, and it's a medical issue, not a behaviour one.

Here's how it usually unfolds. Your child might have had a painful poo that scared them into holding on. As stool builds up in the rectum, the bowel stretches to accommodate it. Over time, the stretch dulls the nerve signals — meaning your child genuinely loses the feeling of needing to go. When softer stool leaks, they often have absolutely no idea it's happening. What looks like deliberate soiling is actually overflow — the body's way of dealing with too much being held in for too long.

The good news? With the right medical support, Encopresis can be very treatable. 

Why Do So Many Kids Have Both?

It’s not uncommon for your child to experience both. Since the rectum and bladder sit right next to each other, when the rectum is holding a big backlog of stool, it physically squeezes the bladder, reducing how much it can comfortably hold. That means a child who's constipated will feel the urge to wee much more frequently, and much more urgently — and bladder leaks become a lot more likely as a result.

Signs It's Time to See a Doctor

• Leaks that have come back after six dry months — secondary enuresis is worth investigating. A UTI, a stressful change, or something else might be driving it.
• Any stinging or discomfort when weeing — this can signal a UTI or something structural that deserves a proper look. 
• Soiling that appears suddenly in a child who was previously managing well — especially after a big change in life circumstances. 
• More than three days without a comfortable bowel movement in a child you suspect might be constipated. 
• Big feelings around leaks or soiling — anxiety, avoidance, social withdrawal, or a noticeable dip in your child's confidence. That's worth talking to someone about 
  

What Treatment Looks Like

For bladder leaks, treatment depends on the type. Nighttime leaks respond really well to a bedwetting alarm — it wakes your child when moisture is detected and gradually trains the brain to respond to the bladder signal before it becomes urgent. Medication to temporarily reduce overnight urination can also be really helpful for things like sleepovers and school trips. Voiding schedules, fluid management, and sorting out any constipation are all part of the picture too.

For encopresis, the first step is to gain medical advice to see what works best for your child. Diet can also play a big supporting role: think more water, more fibre and fewer foods that slow things down. Some families also find it helpful to work with a continence nurse or paediatric physiotherapist to retrain the routine side of things.

What you can do to help

Talk to your child about what's happening — calmly, warmly, and without blame. Kids dealing with bladder and bowel hiccups often carry a heavy load of embarrassment, especially if they've sensed any frustration from the grown-ups around them. What they need most is the message that their body is doing something tricky right now, that it's nobody's fault, and that there are people, strategies, and products like Nundies, that exist specifically to help them through it.

This won't be solved overnight. But with the right support — medical and emotional — most kids get there. And in the meantime, removing the stress of a potential leak gives your child the space to just be a kid. Which is exactly what they should be.

Disclaimer: Always check in with your doctor or paediatric specialist for advice specific to your child. This blog is for general information only.