International Journal of Homoeopathic Sciences

Background: Nocturnal enuresis is a common pediatric disorder characterized by involuntary urination during sleep. Conventional therapies such as desmopressin and enuresis alarms show efficacy but may have limitations. Homeopathy offers individualized (constitutional) prescribing and specific remedies like Equisetum hyemale, which is traditionally indicated in cases of habitual bedwetting.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of individualized constitutional homeopathy with Equisetum hyemale in the management of primary nocturnal enuresis in children.

Methods: A randomized, controlled, parallel-group clinical study was conducted on 60 children aged 5-15 years with primary nocturnal enuresis. Participants were divided into two groups:

Group A received individualized constitutional remedies (e.g., Sulphur, Calcarea carbonica, Causticum, Kreosotum).

Group B received Equisetum hyemale 30C, once daily at bedtime.

Treatment duration was 12 weeks. Primary outcome was the mean reduction in the frequency of bedwetting episodes per week. Secondary outcomes included sleep quality, parental stress, and self-esteem. Data were analyzed using paired and unpaired t-tests with significance at p < 0.05.

Results: Group A showed a reduction from 5.9 ± 1.3 to 1.8 ± 0.9 episodes/week (69% improvement), while Group B reduced from 5.7 ± 1.1 to 3.4 ± 1.2 episodes/week (40% improvement). The inter-group difference was statistically significant (p = 0.01). Improvements in sleep quality, parental stress, and child’s self-esteem were higher in the constitutional group compared to the Equisetum hyemale group.

Conclusion: The constitutional approach demonstrated superior short-term effectiveness over Equisetum hyemale in reducing bedwetting episodes and improving quality-of-life measures in children with nocturnal enuresis. Larger, multicentric studies are warranted to confirm these findings.