Nighttime alarms are effective as part of a behavioral modification treatment plan for many children with nocturnal enuresis. When triggered by moisture, most of these alarms make a buzzing sound. Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s were interested in learning whether an alarm with a recorded voice would be effective. They were inspired by a 2006 study demonstrating the effectiveness of voice fire alarms in waking children who slept through buzzer fire alarms.

The study included 199 children between the ages of six and 18 who had at least two wet nights per week. Children with neurogenic bladder or bladder outlet obstruction were excluded. The enrolled children were randomized to voice or buzzer alarm. When children were randomized to voice alarm, a parent recorded the message. The four-month study classified outcomes as follows:

• Success: 28 consecutive dry nights with no alarms
• Improvement: less than one wet night a week
• Failure: one or more wet night a week

Of the children who completed the study, 52 percent were successful in each group. “This finding won’t change clinical practice, but it is good information for parents,” says Elizabeth Jackson, MD, a pediatric urologist and principal investigator for the study. “Health insurance plans typically do not cover the cost of enuresis alarms, and voice alarms are more expensive. So parents can buy the less expensive alarm knowing that it won’t negatively impact their child’s success.”

Study results were presented at the International Children’s Continence Society Annual Meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, in October 2015.