VOA慢速英语20061213a

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

We continue the first in a new series¹ of reports from time to time on raising children. Today we discuss some ways to help bed-wetters stay dry all night long.

First of all, health experts say bed-wetting should be treated with understanding. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, says children do not wet the bed to upset their parents.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health say the young people who do it are usually physically² and emotionally³ normal. They say the causes of bed-wetting are not known⁴. But they think most cases probably result from a mix of things including slower physical development. Often there is a strong family history of bed-wetting.

The good news is that most children grow out of it over time. So, until that happens, here are some steps that might help.




First, consider a limit on the amount of liquid a child drinks before bedtime⁵. Also, make sure children use the bathroom right before bed -- an empty bladder at bedtime should help.

Some parents wake their children at night to use the bathroom. Others set a timer to sound, so children wake up on their own.

The Mayo Clinic says even going to bed thirty minutes earlier can help some children stop wetting the bed.

If children do have an accident at night, the experts at the clinic say parents should let them help clean up. For example, children could rinse⁶ out their wet nightclothes. The Mayo Clinic says taking responsibility⁷ may help the bed-wetter feel a sense of control over the situation.

But the American Academy⁸ of Pediatrics has a warning⁹ about such advice. It says having to clean up may seen like punishment if other children in the family do not have similar duties.

The academy advises families to establish a no teasing¹⁰ rule. Bed-wetters usually feel shame enough without having other children make fun of them.

Some parents put a plastic cover on the bed, then a cloth sheet, followed by an additional¹¹ set of plastic and cloth sheets. This way, it is easy to remove wet coverings and have a dry set ready.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says the first thing a parent should do about bed-wetting is talk to their child's doctor. When nothing else works¹², doctors sometimes give medicines to reduce urine production, or antidepressant drugs or both.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. You can find the first part of our report on bed-wetting at www.unsv.com. I'm Barbara Klein.

1 series   

n.连续；系列

参考例句：

• The students have put forward a series of questions.学生们提出了一系列问题。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

2 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

3 emotionally   

adv.感情上，情绪上，冲动地

参考例句：

• a special school for emotionally disturbed children 为精神异常儿童开办的特殊学校
• A wide range of emotionally stressful events may trigger a relapse. 多种令人情绪紧张的事情都可能引起旧病复发。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 known   

adj.大家知道的；知名的，已知的

参考例句：

• He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
• He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。

5 bedtime   

n.就寝时间

参考例句：

• It's your bedtime. Go upstairs and go to bed.到睡觉的时间了，上楼去睡觉。
• If you go to bed now,I've read you a bedtime story.假使你现在就上床睡觉，我就念个睡前故事给你听。

6 rinse   

v.用清水漂洗，用清水冲洗

参考例句：

• Give the cup a rinse.冲洗一下杯子。
• Don't just rinse the bottles. Wash them out carefully.别只涮涮瓶子，要仔细地洗洗里面。

7 responsibility   

n.责任，职责

参考例句：

• The safety of the ship is the captain's responsibility.确保船的安全是船长的责任。
• The matter is outside my area of the responsibility.此事超出我的责任范围。

8 academy   

n.(高等)专科院校；学术社团，协会，研究院

参考例句：

• This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
• I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。

9 warning   

n.警告，告诫，训诫，警戒，警报

参考例句：

• The other side paid no attention to our warning.对方不重视我方的警告。
• He realized that his doctor was warning him off drink.他意识到医生在告诫他戒酒。

10 teasing   

adj.戏弄的，逗趣的v.取笑，戏弄( tease的现在分词 )；梳理（羊毛等）

参考例句：

• Don't get upset—I was only teasing. 别不高兴，我只是在逗你玩。
• I didn't think you meant that seriously;I thought you were teasing. 我未想到你是当真的，我原以为你是开玩笑的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 additional   

adj.添加的，额外的，另外的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
• I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。

12 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。