Some Children With Severe Bedwetting See Resolution After Discontinuing Absorbent Pants

TUESDAY, June 4, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Discontinuing absorbent pajama pants (APP) is associated with a 10 percent complete resolution rate among children with severe childhood nocturnal enuresis, according to a study recently published online in the European Journal of Pediatrics.

Anders Breinbjerg, M.D., Ph.D., from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues examined the effect of discontinuing wearing protective garments in children (aged 4 to 8 years) with severe childhood nocturnal enuresis. One hundred five participants were randomly assigned (2:1) to discontinue or continue using APP.

The researchers found that children in the no-pants group significantly experienced fewer wet nights versus the pants group during the last week (difference, 2.3 nights). Twenty percent in the no-pants group responded to the intervention, of whom 13 percent had a full response. Within two weeks, clinical improvement was detected. APP discontinuation negatively affected sleep and quality of life in the four-week extension period, but not in the four-week core period. Stress related to the intervention resulted in 15 children (21 percent) in the no-pants group to discontinue early.

“Even though prolonged discontinuation was reported to lead to sleep disturbances and [reduced] quality of life, still our results suggest trying two weeks of the intervention if the family is motivated, prior to engaging established treatments for nocturnal enuresis,” the authors write.

The study was funded by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

Abstract/Full Text