NOCTURNAL ENURESIS (VOL 9, PG 94, 1995)

Nocturnal enuresis is a very common pediatric problem which often has strong genetic roots. In the vast majority of children it resolves spo ntaneously, with time, therefore research and treatment of bedwetting cannot carry any risk to the child. The research on the etiology of be dwetting has been focused on sleep disturbances, nocturnal urine produ ction and functional bladder capacity. So far it has not provided conc lusive evidence of the pathophysiology of the phenomenon. It is possib le that different factors may be predominant in different age groups. Although bedwetters are basically mentally healthy, several studies ha ve shown that the problem may cause secondary emotional and social pro blems which can be alleviated with successful intervention. Of the tre atment modalities currently available to the pediatrician, the most ef fective is the moisture alarm. Combined with its safety and low cost i t should become the treatment of choice in most cases.