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Enuresis

Last reviewed: 19 Aug 2025
Last updated: 19 May 2023

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • increased fluid intake at night
  • urinary frequency
  • constipation
  • caffeine and other bladder irritants
  • urinary urgency
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • abnormal voiding habits
  • abnormal breathing pattern at night
Full details

Risk factors

  • genetic predisposition
  • constipation
  • upper airway obstruction/sleep-disordered breathing
  • ADHD
  • psychological disorders
  • male sex
Full details

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • urinalysis
Full details

Investigations to consider

  • urinary tract ultrasound
Full details

Treatment algorithm

ACUTE

age <7 years

age ≥7 years

ONGOING

recurrence

Contributors

Authors

Erin C. Grantham, MD

Pediatric Urologist

Department of Urology

Billings Clinic

Billings

MT

Disclosures

ECG declares that she has no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Dr Erin C. Grantham would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Duncan T. Wilcox and Dr Nicholas G. Cost, the previous contributors to this topic. Dr Erin C. Grantham would also like to acknowledge Jillian Hatfield for her contribution to this topic.

Declarações

DTW and NGC declare that they have no competing interests.

Revisores

Prasad Godbole, FRCS, FRCS (Paed), FEAPU

Consultant Paediatric Urologist

Paediatric Surgical Unit

Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Western Bank

Sheffield

UK

Declarações

PG declares that he has no competing interests.

Elizabeth Jackson, MD

Associate Professor

Pediatric Nephrology

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Cincinnati

OH

Declarações

EJ declares that she has no competing interests.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

Referências

Nossas equipes internas de editoria e de evidências trabalham em conjunto com colaboradores internacionais especializados e pares revisores para garantir que forneçamos acesso às informações o mais clinicamente relevantes possível.

Principais artigos

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th ed. Text Revision, (DSM-5-TR). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2022.

European Association of Urology. Guidelines on paediatric urology. 2023 [internet publication].Texto completo

European Association of Urology. Guidelines on paediatric urology. 2019 [internet publication].Texto completo

Nevéus T, Eggert P, Evans J, et al. Evaluation of and treatment for monosymptomatic enuresis: a standardization document from the International Children's Continence Society. J Urol. 2010 Feb;183(2):441-7.Texto completo  Resumo

Nevéus T, Eggert P, Evans J, et al. Evaluation of and treatment for monosymptomatic enuresis: a standardization document from the International Children's Continence Society. J Urol. 2010 Feb;183(2):441-7. Resumo

Caldwell PH, Codarini M, Stewart F, et al. Alarm interventions for nocturnal enuresis in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 May 4;5(5):CD002911.Texto completo  Resumo

Longstaffe S, Moffat M, Whalen J. Behavioral and self-esteem changes after six months of enuresis treatment: a randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics. 2000;105:935-940. Resumo

Artigos de referência

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