BEDWETTING AND BEHAVIORAL AND OR EMOTIONAL-PROBLEMS/

Objective: To assess the link between enuresis nocturna and the severi ty of behavioural and/or emotional problems in Dutch children and the course of these problems. Setting: West-Mine Region in the Netherlands . Subjects and methods: Prospective cohort study involving 66 of the 8 0 bedwetting children from all 1652 children born in 1983 in this regi on. After 1 y, contact was still possible with 64 of the enuretics. We used the Dutch version of the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and a questionnaire about bedwetting. Results: The mean T-score for Total Pr oblems (CBCL score) in 1992 (M1; mean age 8.6) was 52.1, and 1 y later was 49.2 (M2). There was no significant difference in the CBCL scores for M1, M2 and a matching group from the Dutch CBCL norm population, either in the group who remained wet or in the group who became dry. T here were no differences between the sexes. There was no link between the severity of behavioural and emotional problems and the frequency o f bedwetting. However, more children with bedwetting than expected wer e in the clinical range. Conclusion: There was no difference in behavi oural and/or emotional problems between the first and the second measu rement and the matching group from the CBCL norm group. There were no differences in behavioural and/or emotional problems between primary a nd secondary bedwetters, nor were there any consequences related to th e frequency of bedwetting.