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Does bladder voiding during sleep and wakefulness change the behavioural state of infants?

Heinz Zotter1, Werner Sauseng, Berndt Urlesberger

  • 1Division of Neonatology, Department of Paediatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. heinz.zotter@klinikum-graz.at

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|November 30, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Infant bladder voiding during sleep involves body movements and physiological changes like heart rate and EEG frequency, indicating cortical arousals. These changes are not observed when infants void while awake.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal physiology
  • Sleep studies
  • Urology

Background:

  • Understanding infant physiological responses during bladder voiding is crucial for developmental research.
  • Previous studies have not fully elucidated the accompanying physiological changes during sleep and wakefulness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if bladder voiding in healthy infants correlates with body movements, heart rate (HR), respiratory frequency (RF), or electroencephalogram (EEG) frequency.
  • To differentiate these responses during sleep versus wakefulness.

Main Methods:

  • Polygraphic recordings were conducted on 33 healthy, full-term infants (mean age 41 days).
  • Bladder voiding was detected using an adapted enuresis detector integrated with polygraphic equipment.
  • Physiological parameters including HR, RF, and EEG frequency were monitored.

Main Results:

  • Bladder voiding during sleep occurred only during non-REM sleep and was associated with cortical arousals and body movements.
  • In sleeping infants, voiding triggered changes in HR and EEG frequency, indicating arousal.
  • During wakefulness, infants exhibited lower RF and higher HR and EEG frequency, which remained constant during voiding.

Conclusions:

  • Bladder voiding in sleeping infants is accompanied by body movements and physiological changes indicative of cortical arousals.
  • These associated changes are not observed when voiding occurs during wakefulness in infants.
Abstract

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