Night and day wetting among a population of three-year-olds.

An epidemiological study of the emotional and intellectual development of 705 three-year-old children was used to estimate the prevalence of day and night wetting and to examine some factors associated with continence. 56 per cent of boys and 40 per cent of girls were stated to be wet at night. 22 per cent of boys and 12 per cent of girls were wet by day. These prevalence rates are higher than those reported in most other studies, and the possible reasons for this are discussed. Wetting at this age seems to be largely under the control of maturational factors, there being minimal evidence of an association between wetting status and a wide variety of social, emotional and physical stresses.