Enuresis in sickle cell disease. I. Prevalence studies.

The prevalence of enuresis was determined by parental interview in Nigerian children with sickle cell anaemia and in age-matched controls without sickle haemoglobinopathy. There were a total of 209 subjects with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) in steady state and 200 controls of both sexes aged from 2 to 20 years. The prevalence of enuresis was 41.6 per cent in those with SCA and 18.5 per cent in the controls. In subjects who were 4 years or more the prevalences were 36.8 and 21 per cent, respectively. These differences were highly significant (P less than 0.001). There was a significant preponderance of males among enuretic control subjects (2.6 to 1) who were aged 4 years or more (P less than 0.05) which was not apparent in the sickle cell subjects at any age or in the controls below the age of 4 years.