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Pathophysiology and impact of nocturnal enuresis
Author(s) -
Hjälmås K
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1997.tb15170.x
Subject(s) - enuresis , nocturnal , medicine , psychogenic disease , pediatrics , population , psychiatry , environmental health
Nocturnal enuresis in children is not a psychogenic disorder. It is caused by a hereditary delay in maturation of the somatic mechanisms (reduction of nocturnal urine production and a normal arousal to a full bladder) which prevent the child from wetting*the bed. Traditionally, doctors treating bedwetting children have used an expectant attitude, because nocturnal enuresis has been looked upon as self‐limiting and harmless. According to recent research this is not true. More than 5% of children and 0. 5% of the adult population report nocturnal enuresis, meaning that 10% of enuretic children will remain bedwetters for life if left untreated, and nocturnal enuresis is perceived as a shameful condition, giving a significant impairment of self‐esteem at an age when an intact self‐image is extremely important for an optimal development of the child's personality. Treatment should be given when the enuretic child wants to sleep dry.