Dry bed training by parents: results of a group instruction program

We assessed results of intensive dry bed training for groups of parents outside the hospital setting.

During 5 consecutive meetings 2 appointed coaches were responsible for providing 5 to 10 parents with detailed instructions outlining the dry bed training program for their child. The 91 participating children (mean age 9.3 years) were selected from various primary schools by school physicians from the youth health care sections of 2 community health services in The Netherlands from April 1991 to May 1994.

All 91 parents completed the initial questionnaire and 86 (95%) completed the second questionnaire 6 months after dry bed training. Before starting the dry bed training program the children were wetting the bed an average of 5.4 times weekly. A total of 69 children (80%) successfully achieved the continence criterion of 14 consecutive dry nights. Mean time plus or minus standard deviation needed to achieve dryness was 6.9 +/- 3.7 weeks, including the continence criterion. Girls responded significantly faster than boys to dry bed training (5.1 versus 7.4 weeks, t[67] = 2.16, p < 0.05). A total of 16 children (23%) had relapse of whom 7 regained dryness 6 months after training. There were no statistical differences between the successful and unsuccessful groups for the variables of patient age, sex, bed-wetting frequency, secondary enuresis, family history and therapies followed. However, there was a difference in the use of drugs and number of specialist visits before dry bed training. The majority of parents (84%) was satisfied with the program but the opinions of the children were divided.

Group dry bed training has proved to be effective therapy. It may rapidly result in improvement through intensive training in a relatively short period. Group dry bed training is a suitable method to control nocturnal enuresis in children 6 years old or older.