Investigating the Relationship between Nocturnal Enuresis and Sleep Disordered Breathing Using Polysomnography Data of 5-10 Year-Old Children Referred to Qazvin Children's Hospital, Iran
Abstract
Background and Objective: Sleep is a critical biological necessity essential for maintaining both physical and mental health in humans. Given the prevalence of nocturnal enuresis (NE) in children, this study sought to explore its potential link to sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved children aged 5 to 10 years who visited Qazvin Children's Hospital, Iran, from 2016 to 2021. Data were gathered using the Iranian Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) completed by parents, alongside polysomnography (PSG) assessments conducted at the hospital. Children were catego- rized into two groups of with and without enuresis. The PSG data were analyzed to evaluate respiratory parameters in accordance with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) guidelines.
Results: Of 124 participants, 64 (51%) were boys, with an average (standard deviation) age of 82.2 (24.4) months. Ap- proximately 39.1% of the children experienced NE. Statistically significant correlations were found between NE and several factors: body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.025), total sleep time (P = 0.026), number of hypopneas (P < 0.001), hypopnea index (P = 0.012), total apnea and hypopnea events (P = 0.004), and the overall apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) (P = 0.005). However, no significant association was established between the oxygen desaturation index, arousal index (AI), and mean oxygen saturation (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The findings indicate an association between enuresis and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), suggesting that treating OSA could ameliorate enuresis symptoms. Therefore, it is advisable to evaluate children with enuresis, particu- larly those who are obese, for OSA