It is the involuntary elimination of urine, mostly in children, because the child is asleep and does not wake up when their bladder is full. It is considered an illness from 5-6 years when it happens more than 2 times a day for 3 consecutive months.
There are multiple triggers: a hereditary problem (it used to happen to a direct family member), sleep illness, stress, or an associated medical illness.
It manifests with involuntary discharge of urine during the night, with no other symptoms.
The diagnosis is obtained through clinical questioning and physical examination. Occasionally a urinalysis is done to rule out infectious causes.
Treatment is behavioral-based on routines, with fixed schedules of peeing before going to sleep and restriction of fluids at night. It is recommended to avoid any reprimands and instead of giving positive reinforcement on those nights in which it has not happened. Certain bladder exercises can help improve control.
In most cases, this disorder disappears in children from 6 years of age.
- M. I. Úbeda, R. Martínez. Enuresis nocturna. Rev Pediatr Aten Primaria 2012. 14(22):37-43.
- CuidatePlus. Madrid. 2017. Enuresis; [citado el 18 de julio de 2017]. Disponible en: http://www.cuidateplus.com/enfermedades/psiquiatricas/enuresis.html
- UpToDate [Internet]. Waltham. 2017. Nocturnal enuresis in children: Etiology and evaluation; [citado el 18 de julio de 2017]. Disponible en: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/nocturnal-enuresis-in-children-etiology-and-evaluation?source=search_result&search=enureis+nocturna&selectedTitle=2~29
- UpToDate [Internet]. Waltham. 2017. Etiology and clinical features of bladder dysfunction in children; [citado el 18 de julio de 2017]. Disponible en: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/etiology-and-clinical-features-of-bladder-dysfunction-in-children?source=search_result&search=enureis+nocturna&selectedTitle=4~29
