title: The efficacy of a wetting alarm diaper for toilet training of young healthy children in a day-care center: a randomized control trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate, in a randomized controlled way, the use of a daytime wetting alarm in a day-care center during three consecutive weeks in healthy children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine healthy young children, between 18 and 30 months old, were selected at random for a wetting alarm diaper training (n = 27) or control wearing a placebo alarm (n = 12). Toilet behavior was observed during a period of 10 hr by independent observers before, at the end of, and 2 weeks after training. Children were defined as completing daytime toilet training when the child wore undergarments, showed awareness of a need to void, initiated the toileting without prompts or reminder from the trainer and had maximum one leakage accident per day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children in the wetting alarm diaper training group achieved independent bladder control in 51.9% and did significantly better than in the control group (8.3%) (P = 0.013). The results were sustained during the following 14 days (P = 0.013).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The wetting alarm diaper training is an effective option for toilet training young healthy children in a day-care center. It offers day-care providers clear guidelines and limits the time to complete toilet training in many children without putting too much burden on the child and the day-care center activities.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Urology, University of Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vermandel
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Kampen
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Wachter
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weyler
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wyndaele
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D041381:Diapers, Infant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D014039:Toilet Training; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis