Urinary Tract Infections in Kids

Yes, believe it or not, kids can get Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), too. Recently, I’ve had quite a few children in my office with UTIs. I figured I’d pass on some helpful information for families out there! This post will provide a little info on urinary tract infections in kids.

What is a UTI?

First, the urinary tract is what the body uses to clear waste and extra water from the body. It includes the kidneys, ureter, bladder, and urethra (from top to bottom). When any part of this system gets infected by a bacteria, it’s called a UTI. In children, the bladder is usually what’s infected.

Symptoms

Kids (especially babies) don’t always have symptoms when they have a UTI. This can make it really hard to make the diagnosis. Sometimes fussiness is their only sign. The higher the infection is in the urinary tract (like up to the kidneys), the worse the symptoms usually are. When symptoms are present, they can include:

• Burning or pain with urination
• Feeling to urinate often, but only urinating a small amount
• Fever
• Tiredness
• Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
• Blood in urine
• Pain in the back or side
• Pain in the lower belly

Causes

Urinary tract infections are more common in girls than boys. This is mainly because of our anatomy. Most UTIs are caused by bacteria from stool (usually E.Coli) that make their way to the urethra and bladder. This is a much shorter distance for the bacteria to travel in girls than it is in boys (girls’ urethras are shorter). Uncircumcised boys are at a higher risk of UTIs when they’re younger, compared to boys that are circumcised.

Risk Factors

Although most children won’t have risk factors for UTI’s, there are a few to be aware of. A child born with an abnormality of their urinary tract can have an increased risk of a UTI. This is especially true if there’s a problem that causes urine to back up instead of flowing forward normally in the tract. A child that needs to use a catheter or has had any procedures performed on their urinary tract is also at an increased risk.

A child with a suppressed immune system for any reason has a higher chance of getting any infection, including a UTI.

Diagnosis

If your child has any combination of the above symptoms, they should be seen by their Pediatrician. A sample of their urine needs to be collected and sent to the lab to test for bacteria (a urine culture). The culture can take up to 48 hours. If it’s your child’s first UTI, or if they’ve had multiple, an ultrasound of their kidneys and other tests may be ordered. These are done to be sure there isn’t an underlying physical or flow problem causing the infections.

Treatment

I’m not always one to give my kids medicines, but an antibiotic is usually necessary to treat a UTI. The urine culture can help your Pediatrician pick the right medicine for treatment. Your child should also drink plenty of water. This helps decrease the pain associated with urination as the infection is being treated.

Complications

A UTI doesn’t usually lead to complications if it’s caught early enough and treated properly. But, these complications can happen if that’s not the case:

• If there is an underlying cause that is not being treated, children can end up with repeated UTIs
• The kidneys can become permanently damaged by an untreated UTI
• The bacteria can spread from the urinary tract to the blood, causing a more serious, life-threatening infection
• Not Pediatrics, but related: a pregnant woman with a UTI is at an increased risk of delivering a premature or low birth weight baby.

Prevention

These are a few easy ways to prevent a UTI:

• Encourage your kids to drink plenty of water and to urinate frequently. This just keeps things flowing.
• It’s important for little girls to learn early on to wipe from front to back after using the bathroom. This prevents stool from mixing in to the urethra and urinary tract. Good hygiene is so important!

I hope you and your children never have to deal with a UTI, but if you do, save this post as a reference!

Other helpful resources related to urinary tract infections in kids:

• Stomach Virus – From A Mommy Doc Perspective
• What Do You Do When Your Kid Has The Flu?
• Why Does My Kid Keep Getting Sick?
• Potty Training Your Toddler

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