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.