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Fast Fact
Contrary to popular opinion, bed-wetting is a very common problem. It affects somewhere between five and six million children.
Bed-wetting, or nocturnal enuresis, can be divided into two types: primary nocturnal enuresis and secondary nocturnal enuresis. These two types are very different in their causes and treatments.
In primary nocturnal enuresis, children have never achieved complete nighttime control - always wetting at least two times a month.
Secondary nocturnal enuretics are completely dry at night for a period of at least six months and then begin wetting again.
The great majority of bed-wetting children are primary enuretics. For primary enuretics, the cause is decidedly NOT stress or behavioral concerns.
In a survey of 9,000 parents of kids ages 6 - 17, 22% stated that they thought the reason their child wet the bed was laziness (survey conducted by ICR Survey Group from July 10 1996, through August 6, 1996). I am happy to tell you that this could not be further from the truth!
Research has shown that primary nocturnal enuresis is often inherited. If both parents were bed-wetters, 77% of their children will be. If only one parent was, 44% of their offspring will. If neither parent wet the bed, only about 15% of their children will wet the bed.
With primary nocturnal enuresis one almost always finds another relative who was a bed wetter. This corresponds to what is called an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern.
In recent years, researchers have identified an association with bedwetting and two genes named ENUR1 and ENUR2. In studying certain families with primary nocturnal enuresis, researchers discovered that members who wet the bed were more likely to have the ENUR1 or ENUR2 gene than those who did not. More recently, the possibility of a third primary nocturnal enuresis-related gene (ENUR3) on chromosome 22 has also been uncovered. Presumably these genes affect either whether children will need to urinate at night or how easily they can wake up when their bladders are full.
The two major types of bacterial skin infections are folliculitis and impetigo. Folliculitis is an infection of the hair follicles. Impetigo is a superficial infection of the skin itself. Impetigo usually begins with flat, red, 1-2 mm lesions, which quickly rise to little blisters or pustules, and eventually to open sores, often with a soft yellow-brown scab. These lesions can spread locally or under the skin and pop up at distant sites.
Each lesion is teeming with aggressive bacteria, but the bacteria cannot enter intact, healthy skin. Each time you touch the impetigo and then scratch another part of the skin with that finger, you can start a new spot of impetigo. (It is wise to keep your nails trimmed and to wash your hands often with an antibacterial soap). Others can catch impetigo from you if the bacteria come in contact with a break in their stratum corneum.
Two types of bacteria are the main culprits: staphylococcus (staph) and streptococcus (strep). Gentle washing with a bactericidal cleanser can help prevent local spread and reoccurrence, but antibiotics are the mainstay of therapy.
Topical antibiotic ointments are very effective for staph impetigo (which is more commonly seen around the nose and on the trunk or arms). Bactroban ointment is the most effective topical antibiotic. It can also work for strep impetigo (more commonly seen on the legs, in the diaper area, and on hot, moist skin), but failures and relapses are more common. Bacteria live under the yellow-brown scabs. If these are present, they must be removed in order for a topical antibiotic to work. Soaking in warm water with a liquid antibacterial soap is usually effective in removing them, but gentle rubbing is sometimes necessary. Oral antibiotics are a faster and more reliable therapy in stubborn cases of impetigo.
The two major types of bacterial skin infections are folliculitis and impetigo. Folliculitis is an infection of the hair follicles. 
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