• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.32-39
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• 2006

Objectives : The aim of this study was to examine the developmental and clinical characteristics associated with nocturnal enuresis in Korean children. Methods : Three hundred eighteen children with nocturnal enuresis, together with their parents, completed a parent questionnaire consisting of a Child Behavior Checklist(CBCL). Data related to the prenatal, perinatal and developmental history, past and current medical history were collected. Ninety-three normal students were selected as the control group. Results : The nocturnal enuresis group attained diurnal and nocturnal urinary control significantly later than those in the normal control group.49.2% of the children with nocturnal enuresis had the family history of nocturnal enuresis. Daytime incontinence was present in 41.3% of the nocturnal enuresis group. The percentages of sleep-related disturbances were significantly higher in the nocturnal enuresis group when compared to the normal control group.42.6% of the children with nocturnal enuresis experienced pharmacotherapy, and 0.4% experienced enuresis alarms. Conclusion : The results of this study suggest that children with nocturnal enuresis in Korea have a high genetic load and a possibility of developmental delay, which supports the neurodevelopmental point of view with regard to the etiology of nocturnal enuresis. The physicians in Korea prefer pharmacological interventions to alarm interventions in treating Korean children with nocturnal enuresis.