BACKGROUND: Dysfunction in normal breathing affects the enuresis in children. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of breathing exercises on arterial blood gases and enuresis in children suffered from the sleep-disordered breathing. METHODS: This study was conducted in the year of 2011, by a semi-experimental design with the control group, among 40 children aged 6 to 12 years. Subjects were selected based on the criteria of mouth breathing and enuresis; they had sleep-disordered breathing and were referred to the urologist's office affiliated to the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Participants were examined based on the criteria of nocturnal enuresis, oral breathing, and nocturnal snoring. Subsequently, they were randomly assigned to the case and control groups. In the case group, the breathing exercises were performed for 45 minutes for four weeks in prior to sleeping. Subsequently, the arterial blood gases were measured and the frequency of enuresis and the respiratory rates (RR) were recorded. Data were analyzed using repeated measurements of ANOVA, paired-t, independent-t, Wilcoxon signed-rank, and Mann-Whiney U tests. FINDINGS: After intervention, O2 saturation and PaO2 were higher (p < 0.001) and RR and PaCO2 were lower in the case group (p < 0.001). The enuresis decreased significantly in the case group, too (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the breathing exercises may increase arterial oxygen and reduce the frequency of enuresis in the patients with the oral breathing and nocturnal snore.

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