The urinary tract consists of two kidneys, two ureters, a bladder and a urethra. After urine is produced in the kidneys, it travels down the ureters to the bladder. Once the bladder is full enough, it signals the need to urinate. Urine passes out of the body through the urethra. Normally urine flushes away any bacteria that could cause a urinary tract infection (UTI), but certain risk factors can contribute to the development of this infection in children. Symptoms of a UTI in children are sometimes vague and difficult to detect, but an older child should be able to recognize and to verbalize symptoms. This type of infection is easily diagnosed and treated by a physician.
Risks
UTIs are more common in girls because a girl's urethra is shorter than a boy's, which means bacteria has a shorter distance to travel to reach the bladder. An uncircumcised boy is at an increased risk for this type of infection before his first birthday. Health problems that could lead to a UTI include a birth defect or nervous system illness that prevents complete emptying of the bladder. Habits that can increase your child's risk of a UTI include holding his urine for long periods of time and not completely emptying the bladder after using the restroom. Bubble baths, tight-fitting clothing and wiping from the front to the back after using the restroom can contribute to UTIs in girls.
Symptoms
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, symptoms of a UTI in young children include a fever, increased fussiness, irritability, poor appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, blood in the urine and cloudy or foul-smelling urine. Symptoms of a UTI in an older child include burning with urination, frequent urination, back or stomach pain, nighttime or daytime wetting, blood in the urine, and cloudy, dark or foul-smelling urine.
Diagnosis
A urine sample is used to diagnose a UTI. The sample is examined under a microscope for the presence of infection. The sampled is cultured to find out the specific type of bacteria that is causing the infection, which can take an additional two to three days. An older child can urinate into a specimen cup, but obtaining a sample from a younger child is a bit trickier and involves placing a plastic collection bag over the child's penis or vagina to catch the sample; if this method does not work, a healthcare professional can insert a thin tube called a catheter through your child's urethra and into the bladder to obtain a urine sample. If the sample is contaminated with feces, the sample must be thrown away and a new one collected.
Treatment
UTIs are treated with antibiotics. Your child's physician may initially prescribe one antibiotic that treats common bacteria but may change the antibiotic after the urine culture is complete. Your child needs to finish his entire dose of antibiotics to make sure the bacteria are killed. The physician may obtain a follow-up urine sample with culture after the treatment is completed or may consider the infection cleared if the symptoms are resolved.
Prevention
Tips to prevent a UTI in your child include encouraging him to increase his fluid intake, scheduling regular restroom breaks, buying him cotton underwear, washing his genitals each time he bathes and reminding him not to hold his urine and to completely empty his bladder when toileting. Additional tips to prevent a UTI in your daughter include teaching her to wipe from front to back after using toileting, to wear loose-fitting clothing and to avoid taking bubble baths.
