Childhood enuresis. Epidemiology, pathophysiology and management
Author: Al Ghamdy YS, Qureshi NA, Abdelgadir MH.
Source:
Epidemiology, pathophysiology and management Saudi Med J, 21(2), 138-44.
The goal of this article is to review childhood enuresis, which is a common
behavioral condition reported in millions of children worldwide. An online
computer search was made, and the literature up to 1997 was screened in order to
include relevant data for this review. The prevalence of childhood enuresis
varies across reviewed studies. This was attributed to a variety of
sociodemographic and cultural dynamics of societies. Similarly, the
pathophysiology of this ubiquitous symptom is determined by multiple risk factors
including biological, psychological, social, and cultural, but the
developmental/maturational delay influenced by genetics remains the most
plausible explanation. Although a variety of pharmacological and
non-pharmacological treatment modalities are traced in the literature, there is
yet no agreement on a single strategy. A general agreement about behavioral
therapy as the first choice of treatment of this minor malady began to emerge.
Additionally, tricyclic antidepressants are the most frequently prescribed drugs
for the treatment of childhood enuresis. Enuresis is a pediatric public health
problem and concerted efforts at all levels, ie, professional, promotional,
educational and public should be made to address its multiple domains such as
preventive, etiological and curative.