The Effect of Family Assistance to Wake Children with Monosymptomatic Enuresis in Alarm Therapy: A Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: Alarm therapy is widely used as first line treatment for nocturnal enuresis. However, some children do not wake when nocturnal urination activates the alarm. It is currently unclear whether waking the child when the alarm is activated improves the efficacy of alarm therapy. In this study we investigated the efficacy of alarm therapy for nocturnal enuresis when children do not wake in response to the sound and their parents do not wake them.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Detailed information regarding incontinence was retrospectively obtained from 78 of 112 patients who underwent alarm therapy between 2006 and 2016, and completed a questionnaire and a 14-day bladder diary. The enrolled patients were divided into 2 groups. In the family assisted group (44) the children were awakened by family members when the alarm sounded. In the alarm control group (34) the children were self-responsible for waking to the alarm. The groups were compared to investigate differences at 16 weeks after alarm therapy began. The efficacy rate was calculated using the International Children's Continence Society criteria.

RESULTS: The efficacy was similar between the groups. Full response and partial response were observed in 36.4% and 20.5% of patients in the family assisted group, and 26.5% and 29.4% of patients in the alarm control group (p = 1.00), respectively. There was no significant difference in the percentage of children who woke spontaneously to the alarm in the 2 groups (56.7% and 64.0%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Family assisted alarm therapy and self-responsible alarm therapy are equally efficacious in the treatment of childhood nocturnal enuresis.