Published online July 3, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 118 No. 1 July 2006, pp. 254-259 (doi:10.1542/10.1542/peds.2005-2738)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (5)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Barone, J. G.
Right arrow Articles by Schneider, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Barone, J. G.
Right arrow Articles by Schneider, D.
Related Collections
Right arrow Nutrition & Metabolism
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Breastfeeding During Infancy May Protect Against Bed-wetting During Childhood

Joseph G. Barone, MDa, Ranjith Ramasamy, BSa, Andrew Farkas, MD, PhDb, Emanuel Lerner, MDc, Eileen Creenan, RNd, Dawn Salmon, RNd, Jessica Tranchell, BAe and Dona Schneider, PhDe

a Urology
b Obstetrics and Gynecology
c Pediatrics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey
d Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, New Jersey
e Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey

OBJECTIVE. Our goal was to test the hypothesis that children who exhibit bed-wetting during childhood were less likely to be breastfed during infancy compared with normal controls.

METHODS. A case-control study was conducted in a pediatric continence center and a general pediatric practice. Cases (n = 55) were recruited from the continence center and defined as children 5 to 13 years of age who experienced lifetime involuntary voiding of urine during nighttime sleep at least 2 times a week in the absence of defects of the central nervous system or urinary tract. Age- and gender-matched controls (n = 117) who did not exhibit bed-wetting were enrolled from a general pediatric practice. Infant feeding practices were measured as breastfeeding (yes/no) and, for those who were breastfeed, by the duration of breastfeeding and the time of formula supplementation.

RESULTS. Among the case subjects, 45.5% were breastfed, whereas among the controls 81.2% were breastfed. The controls reported higher household incomes than the case subjects, and their mean family size (number of children) was slightly lower. After adjusting for race, income, and family size, the odds ratio was 0.283, indicating that case subjects were significantly less likely than controls to be breastfeed. Among all the study subjects who were breastfed, controls were breastfed for a significantly longer period than case subjects (an average of 3 months longer). Although breastfed controls were less likely to be supplemented with formula than breastfed case subjects, this difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS. Breastfeeding longer than 3 months may protect against bed-wetting during childhood. Breast milk supplemented with formula did not make a difference in the rate of enuresis.

Key Words: bed-wetting • breastfeeding • enuresis

Abbreviations: OR—odds ratio • CI—confidence interval • CDC—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Accepted Jan 20, 2006.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 PediatricsHome page
M. S. Kramer, E. Fombonne, S. Igumnov, I. Vanilovich, L. Matush, E. Mironova, N. Bogdanovich, R. E. Tremblay, B. Chalmers, X. Zhang, et al.
Effects of Prolonged and Exclusive Breastfeeding on Child Behavior and Maternal Adjustment: Evidence From a Large, Randomized Trial
Pediatrics, March 1, 2008; 121(3): e435 - e440.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
H. J. Bennett
Does Breastfeeding Prevent Nocturnal Enuresis?
Pediatrics, October 1, 2006; 118(4): 1802a - 1803.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
H. Kojima
Breastfeeding During Infancy and Bed-wetting During Childhood
Pediatrics, October 1, 2006; 118(4): 1803a - 1804.
[Full Text] [PDF]