According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, up to 7 percent of girls and 2 percent of boys will develop a urinary tract infection, or UTI. About 5 percent of children with a fever with no other symptoms have a UTI, according to babycenter.com. Knowing what to look for, how to prevent and treat them can help parents discern when their child may have a UTI. A pediatrician will diagnose a UTI using a urine sample. A parent should not treat his child without first seeing a doctor.
Definition
According to KidsHealth.org, a urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection that can affect different parts of the urinary tract. The urinary tract is made up of the bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra. A low-grade fever commonly indicates that the infection is in the lower tract, while a high-grade fever (over 102.2) can be a more severe condition where the infection reaches the kidneys, according to drspock.com.
Symptoms
Symptoms will vary based on the age and gender of the child. In younger children and toddlers, the symptoms are more vague and more difficult to decipher, such as irritability, loss of appetite and a fever, according to KidsHealth.org. Older children may complain about a burning sensation or pain while they urinate. A child may also experience lower back pain, a stomachache and nausea, according to doctorspock.com. A child's urine may also appear to be dark yellow with a foul smell.
Prevention
Preventing UTIs in children begins with proper hygiene, according to KidsHealth.org. Babycenter.com states that children should drink plenty of liquids, which will flush toxins from the urinary tract. Young girls should avoid the use of strong soaps or bubble baths that can cause irritation. If a child is still in diapers, the parents need to change the diapers often and, in the case of girls, wipe from the labia to the anus to avoid the spreading of germs.
Treatment
A child diagnosed by a doctor with a UTI will most likely be prescribed antibiotics, according to KidsHealth.org. Different antibiotics are prescribed based on the child's age, family history and severity of the infections. Antibiotics need to be finished in their entirety or else the infection may return, according to babycenter.com. If the child is in pain, the doctor may prescribe a pain reliever along with the antibiotic.
Complications
KidsHealth.org states that a child may be hospitalized if the child has a high fever and appears ill, as this may be a sign of a kidney infection. Any child younger than six months of age is admitted to the hospital for continual observance. If the pediatrician suspects that the infection has spread into the blood, the child will be hospitalized. Dehydration is a common result of a UTI in children, especially if they cannot stop vomiting.
