Bedwetting can have a big impact on the emotional state of children, with many worrying that their friends will find out and others worrying about overnight trips or sleepovers, a new survey has found.

Almost 400 parents who have a child or children over the age of five who wet the bed, took part in the survey.

It revealed that 61% of children who wet the bed worry that their friends will find out, 59% worry about overnight trips, while 57% do not want to go on sleepovers in their friends' houses.

Meanwhile, 34% of children refuse to join a social group that involves overnight trips and 16% are not looking forward to their family holiday.

An estimated 15-20% of five-year-olds still wet the bed. This drops to 10% among seven-year-olds and 8% among nine-year-olds. The medical term for this is noctural enuresis.

According to Dr Nick van der Spek, a consultant paediatrician at Cavan General Hospital, most children wet their beds at some stage during childhood and this is completely normal. However, when it occurs regularly from the age of five, 'it is important that parents seek professional help'.

"It is a common misconception that bedwetting is caused by a psychological problem, but the vast majority of children who wet the bed in Ireland have a medical condition which can be treated effectively. This research has shown the severe impact bedwetting can have on children's lives and their families. In many cases this anxiety is unnecessary," he commented.

The survey found that at least one in four parents (29%) feel that their child is at a disadvantage socially as a result of their bedwetting.

It also revealed that while many parents speak to a family member or GP about this problem, 17% do not speak to anyone about it.

In order to manage the problem, 46% of parents use pull-up nappies on their children, while 32% lift their child out of bed each time they wet, which can be several times a night.

"I am surprised at the high number of parents who are trying to manage this medical condition by using pull-up nappies or lifting their child. Parents often feel their child will grow out of bedwetting and let the condition go on for much longer than it needs to. The treatment of bedwetting is dependent on its cause so it is important that parents speak to their healthcare professional to treat this condition quickly and effectively," Dr van der Spek said.

Not surprisingly, the survey found that bedwetting can have a big impact on sleep, with 30% of parents stating that their child is tired during the day. Some 29% of parents said that it is difficult to wake their child each morning, while 27% said that their children are irritable.

The survey was carried out by Empathy Research on behalf of DryDawn.ie, a new online resource and app,which aims to help families who are affected by bedwetting.