A presenting sample of 127 consecutive referrals to a community based enuresis clinic were evaluated after treatment with baseline behavioural recording and the enuresis alarm. Almost one in five became dry after baseline recording only while 81 of 96 (84%) enuretics who used the alarm achieved the initial dryness criterion. Successful outcome was associated with the absence of adverse environmental factors and psychiatric disorders in the child. A logistic regression procedure enabled a risk score to be created so that successful outcome could be predicted. Psychiatric disorder in the child, family stress, and the degree of concern shown by the child emerged as the most important prognostic factots in the treatment of enuresis. The favourable success rates with baseline recording and the enuresis alarm confirm the role of conditioning treatment at the forefront of management of enuresis and the risk score allows outcome to be predicted for the first time.

This study describes seroprevalence and risk factors for hepatitis B in seven centres caring for non‐residential mentally handicapped individuals. Overall, 11% were hepatitis B marker seropositive and 4% had the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Male sex and increasing age were associated with seropositive status, and Down's syndrome was associated with the presence of HBsAg. Immediate family members of those with hepatitis B markers were screened and 22% had evidence of heptatitis B markers. Forty‐one family members were identified when the mentally handicapped individual was HBsAg positive and of these 13 (32%) were seropositive. This study demonstrates that hepatitis B is a problem for the non‐residential mentally handicapped population and confirms the risk of infection to their immediate families.

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