Correlations between enuresis in children and nocturia in mothers

To demonstrate a relationship between enuresis and nocturia.

The study investigated 250 mothers (average age 34.6 +/- 3.3 years) whose children attended the Department of Pediatrics of the Second University of Naples because they suffered from enuresis. Data were collected by self-reported questionnaire and personal interview. All women provided written informed consent with guarantees of confidentiality. Both the presence of nocturia in adulthood and enuresis in childhood were taken into account.

The overall prevalence of nocturia was 38% (n = 95). There was a history of childhood bedwetting in eight mothers (5%) without nocturia and in 61 mothers (65%) with nocturia; the difference was significant (chi(2) p < 0.01). Moreover, among the 110 enuretic children of nocturic mothers, 69 (62%) suffered from non-monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (NMNE), and 34 (56%) of their mothers suffered from NMNE in childhood. Nocturic mothers suffering from non-monosymptomatic enuresis during their childhood had offspring with a higher risk of developing non-monosymptomatic enuresis (odds ratio 4.3 95%, confidence interval 2.6-7.1, p < 0.01).

These findings enabled a close connection between nocturia in adulthood and enuresis in childhood to be hypothesized. Furthermore, this analysis provided evidence of the link between suffering from nocturia, and previously from enuresis, and having children affected by enuresis.