Nocturia in mothers and enuresis in children: Possible links.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between nocturnal enuresis (NE) of childhood and nocturia of parents.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study was conducted across the network of general pediatricians of the ASL NA 1 of Naples, Italy. All the children with NE and their mothers were invited to attend the clinic for the study. Data were collected by personal interview. A 5-day bladder diary was collected from all the children. The mothers with nocturia were given a 3-day frequency-volume chart to assess the presence of nocturnal polyuria or reduced bladder capacity. Both children and mothers underwent a bladder ultrasound scan to measure the bladder wall thickness.

RESULTS

A total of 224 mothers (aged between 23 and 45 years, average 33.3±4.1 years) and their 225 children (aged between 7 and 13 years, average 8.35±1.81 years) were investigated. Of the 224 mothers, 90 (40%) had nocturia, of which 55 (61%) clearly remembered that they had suffered from NE in childhood. Only 4 (11%) out of the 35 women without nocturia had NE (p<0.001). Children with persistence of NE beyond 11 years were more likely to have a parent with nocturia. Children with non-monosymptomatic NE were more likely to have mothers with nocturia (odds ratio (OR) 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-7.1, p<0.01) or overactive bladder symptoms (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-15.2, p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that there is a link between NE in childhood and nocturia in adulthood. A strong relationship was found between overactive bladder in children and overactive bladder in their mothers.