Nocturnal enuresis: a prevalent, persistent, yet curable parasomnia

Abstract

Nocturnal enuresis is a common, largely inherited condition wherein children involuntarily pass urine while asleep. What is inherited appears to be a mild maturational delay that expresses itself partly in terms of growth and development and primarily in terms of diminished urinary control. Drugs are the most frequently used treatment but the recent literature shows that they are inappropriate as a primary treatment because of potential risks to child health and/or questionable long-term effectiveness. Effective treatment requires the specific teaching of continence skills, and several behavioral methods suitable to that purpose are described in this paper.