TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 8, 1995 -- More than 80 percent of children who suffer from nighttime bedwetting can be successfully treated, yet most parents do not believe that physicians can relieve the problem, said University of South Florida pediatric urologist Yves Homsy, M.D.

"Enuresis, or bedwetting, is stressful for the entire family. The condition can affect a child's self-esteem and limit normal social development if it is not taken care of," said Dr. Homsy, a professor of surgery. "Physicians need to reassure parents that effective therapeutic approaches are available."

The treatments include a new antidiuretic hormone that substantially reduces overnight urine production and alarm systems designed to awaken the child immediately upon detection of moisture.

Dr. Homsy pointed to a recent survey of Canadian households that indicated 44 percent of parents who consulted physicians about their children's persistent bedwetting did not think the doctors' advice was helpful. Specifically the parents indicated the physician said their child would outgrow the problem or that bedwetting was not a physical problem.

Most of the 5 to 7 percent of children who suffer from prolonged nighttime bedwetting are boys. Girls are more likely to experience inappropriate daytime wetting, possibly due to weaker bladder outlet muscles, Dr. Homsy said.

Bedwetting is a normal phenomenon for all young children, but most gain control of their bladders as they mature and the cerebral cortex of the brain develops. If a child is still wetting the bed at age 6 or beyond, the parents should seek medical attention, Dr. Homsy said.

The physician can help detect or rule out physical abnormalities in the urinary tract, such as an ectopic ureter or a distended kidney, or neurological problems, such as spina bifida, which may be associated with uninhibited bladder contractions, he said.

Dr. Homsy recently came to the USF College of Medicine from Montreal, Canada. In Canada, he was director of the Division of Pediatric Urology at Sainte-Justine Hospital and a professor of surgery at the University of Montreal and McGill University.

Dr. Homsy is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and the American Academy of Pediatrics. He serves on the Executive Committee of the International Enuresis Research Center.

CONTACT: Michael Hoad, Health Sciences, University of South Florida, 813-974-3300