Voiding habits and wetting in a population of 4,332 Belgian schoolchildren aged between 10 and 14 years

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of daytime- with/without night-time wetting, in Belgium, in a group of 10 to 14 year old schoolchildren, and to study the voiding habits.

Subjects and methods: A questionnaire of 41 questions was developed and completed by 4,332 parents at home.

Results: Wetting or soiling episodes were reported by a total of 528 (12%) of the children: monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis by 62 (1%), daytime wetting with/without night-time wetting by 343 (8%), and faecal soiling by 123 (3%). We found significantly more girls in the wetting group, and the capacity to regularly postpone the voiding was significantly lower in this group. Significantly more children had nocturia in the group with wetting.

Conclusions: Children with daytime wetting with/without night-time wetting have very often bladder-sphincter dysfunctions, which is in turn correlated with recurrent urinary tract infections. Eight percent of the 10 to 12 year old schoolchildren report daytime wetting with/without night-time wetting with some frequency. Surprisingly few parents, especially in the daytime wetting group, searched for medical help. Physicians and paediatricians should be encouraged to be more attentive to wetting in children and initiate discussion about urinary en faecal problems with parents and children.