Application of clean intermittent catheterization for neurogenic bladder in infants less than 1 year old

BACKGROUND: Neurogenic bladder (NB) is a common pediatric urological disease caused by a variety of neurological pathologies. Clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) has been the preferred method to empty bladder. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of CIC on preserving bladder and upper urinary tract function in infants less than 1 year old with NB. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 76 infants with NB. Patients were divided into two groups according to treatment initiation: the early CIC group (ECG)(<1 year old) and the late CIC group (LCG)(>3 years old). RESULTS: Bladder compliance (BC), safe bladder capacity (SBC) and maximum cystometric capacity (MCC) were significantly higher in the ECG than those in the LCG at 6 years of follow-up respectively (P< 0.05). The frequencies of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and urinary tract infection (UTI) in the ECG were significantly lower than those in the LCG (P< 0.05) at 6 years of follow-up. Two and nine patients exhibited mild renal damage in the ECG and LCG, respectively, resulting in a significant difference (P< 0.05) at 6 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Early CIC plays an important role in preserving bladder function and preventing UTI and renal deterioration in infants with NB, especially in the first year of life.