We’re likely to share a cute video of our children blowing out their birthday candles or a picture of our kids in their baseball uniforms.

There are plenty of things that parents and kids go through that no one feels the need to post. Some of them are thought of as “gross” or “weird.”

But even celebrities aren’t immune to gross and weird. America’s cutest couple recently went through a battle with pinworms … it was so memorable that Kristen Bell felt the need to share it with everyone with a Netflix subscription when she went on the Joel McHale show and shared about her family’s experience with pinworms.

Here are 5 common medical conditions that no one (except maybe Kristen Bell) shares on Instagram:

Pinworms

Pinworms are an annoying cause of anal itching. Kids (usually elementary age) get them from touching and ingesting the eggs from foods on contaminated surfaces. You can usually diagnosis pinworms with the story alone but if you see a moving worm on the stool or toilet paper, you know what’s going on. Treatment is a medicine that you take twice, one immediately and one 2-3 weeks later depending on the type of medication.

For more information, read our full post on pinworms: 4 Things Every Parent Should Know about Pinworms

Molluscum

One of the most common skin problems that no one seems to know about is molluscum. Molluscum contagiosum is a viral rash that causes little flesh-colored bumps that can look like they have clear fluid inside. They are similar to warts in that they can spread from child to child and a child can spread them to other parts of their bodies. They tend to go away on their own but they can be frozen or removed if they are bothersome or are in tricky parts of the body. They are not concerning but one of the most annoying conditions we see in pediatrics.

For more information, read our full post on molluscum: The most common rash you never knew about

Scabies

Although less common than some of the other topics on the list, scabies is another condition that we see frequently but you’d never know it. Scabies is an infection with a parasite that causes itchy red rash all over but is most present in the spaces between the fingers and toes. The condition is not necessarily related to cleanliness, although this is a common misconception. Treatment is a topical cream that is applied neck to toes and repeated in a week.

For more information read this post about scabies (and cooties): Eww, cooties: The Doc Smitty on lice, scabies and yes, cooties

Lice

Oh, the dreaded email from the school, “There has been a case of lice in your child’s classroom.” Lice is sooooo common. Almost every child will have a case at some point during their school-age years. The diagnosis is made after the discovery of live lice or nits (which are eggs) on the scalp. The child will commonly be itching their scalp. The treatment is a shampoo that kills the nits or a treatment to remove the nits and prevent re-infestation.

Treatment for lice has become more complicated because of lice that are resistant to standard treatments. Here’s an article that explains what you need to know: 4 Ways to Fight Against Super Lice

Bedwetting

No one talks about this…but 15 percent of 5 year olds still wet the bed… 5 percent of 10 year olds…

Almost every bedwetter has another bedwetter that sits with them in class every day.

There are some subtle things you can do to help. But, most of all, children outgrow their bedwetting on their own time with bladder maturity and not often because parents find the magic fix. There are solutions that can be explored for sleep-overs and overnight camps.

There are some warning signs that might warrant further concern or investigation. Read more here: Bedwetting: When should you be concerned?

So what should you remember?

1. Get kids and do weird stuff (these and many others) that no one talks about.
2. It’s ok to keep it to yourself or share.
3. Even if you choose not to share, remember that you’re probably not alone.

It’s the problem that many families have faced, but people rarely talk about. It can leaving you feeling like you are out on an island all by yourself.

Guess what? You’re not as alone as you think.

Here are the percentages of kids who are still wetting the bed at various ages:

• 5 years- 15 percent
• 7 years - 10 percent
• 10 years - 5 percent

Up until 10 years of age there is probably at least another boy or girl in your child’s class at school who is going through the same thing, it just doesn’t come up at the PTA meeting.

For the most part, the problem is just delayed maturation of a child’s ability to stay dry. This is evidenced by the fact that almost every case eventually resolves on its own without treatment. While the maturation may not happen fast enough for parents who are changing the sheets every morning (or even in the middle of the night), for most, it will happen.

If you want to blame someone for the problem, blame genetics.

There is often family history of delayed nighttime dryness. This is tricky to prove because this could be simply a result of the fact that it is so common. There have been some studies implicating genetics as a possible cause.

Some people will describe their children as “really deep sleepers,” but most kids are and it’s probably a bias based on the fact that most families with kids who are dry through the night don’t try to wake their kids up for anything.

So when should you call the doctor?

• The child is starting to wet after a period of being dry.
• The child has day-time accidents as well.
• The child has burning or pain with urination.
• The child is excessively thirsty and urinating frequently.
• The child has associated constipation.
• The child has other associated symptoms for which you are concerned.

There are some basic strategies to use in order to help your child stay dry:

• Limit or stop fluid intake after dinner.
• Have the child go to the bathroom regularly during the day and several times close to bed time.
• Children should not receive caffeinated or sugary beverages.
• Move toward underwear as soon as reasonable.

You can talk about further interventions with your pediatrician. Here's some advice I give parents:

Bedwetting alarms that wake children when they have wet the bed are the most consistently proven method to resolve bedwetting.

Medications for use with bedwetting can be used for temporary dryness, but have not shown to be effective for eliminating bedwetting long-term. Once you stop the medicine, it tends to come right back.

Most cases of bedwetting will resolve on their own, you should not blame yourself or your child. Punishment does not work!

About the author

Justin Smith, M.D., is a Cook Children's pediatrician in Lewisville . View more from The Doc Smitty at his Facebook page. He attended University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School and did his pediatric training at Baylor College of Medicine. He joins Cook Children's after practicing in his hometown of Abilene for four years. He has a particular interest in development, behavior and care for children struggling with obesity. In his spare time, he enjoys playing with his 3 young children, exercising, reading and writing about parenting and pediatric health issues.