Bladder infections cause a painful burning sensation during urination, a frequent urge to urinate, cloudy or strong-smelling urine, a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen and low fever. Bladder infections frequently cause potty-trained children to regress and have accidents during the day. Young girls and uncircumcised boys have a higher risk of developing bladder infections than circumcised boys, according to the "Merck Manual." If your child has symptoms of a bladder infection, see your pediatrician because an untreated infection can spread to the kidneys.
Bacteria
The urinary tract consists of kidneys, the tubes that lead from the kidneys to the bladder (the ureters) and the tube that leads from the bladder to the outside of the body (urethra). Although urine is naturally antibacterial, sometimes harmful bacteria can creep up the urethra and establish an infection. Young children have a high risk for bladder infections because their urethras are relatively short, and they tend to have less than stellar hygiene habits. Children, especially girls, must be taught to wipe from front to back after using the toilet so that fecal bacteria do not contaminate the urethra.
According to the "Merck Manual," the bacteria E. coli cause 75 percent of bladder infections in children. Some streptococcus and staphylococcus species can also cause bladder infections in children.
Abnormal Anatomy
A healthy urinary tract discourages infection because the bladder will totally empty with urination, and antibacterial urine will flush the system. However, any abnormality of the urinary tract that causes retention of urine can set the stage for a bladder infection. Children who suffer repeated bladder infections might have an abnormality such as an obstruction, an extra ureter or a faulty bladder valve that allows urine to back-flush out of the bladder (vesicoureteral reflux). In the condition called neurogenic bladder, the nerves in the bladder malfunction so that the child cannot sense when the bladder is full, or the muscles fail to contract strongly enough to completely empty the bladder.
Other Causes
Constipated children or those with the colon condition called Hirschsprung's disease have a higher risk of developing a bladder infection, probably because the rectum impinges on the urethra so that they cannot completely empty the bladder. Children who need a urinary catheter risk infection, especially if they need to be catheterized repeatedly, or if the catheter remains in place for a long time. In older children, diabetes can lead to bladder infections.
Irritation
Although not technically a bladder infection, inflammation of the urinary tract (cystitis) is often referred to as such, because the inflammation causes the same bodily response and symptoms as bacterial invasion. In children, nonbacterial cystitis most commonly comes from exposure to a chemical that irritates the urethra. For children with particularly sensitive urinary tracts, merely soaking in a bubble bath can set off an inflammatory response and all the signs of a bladder infection.
