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What is paediatric urinary tract infection?
A paediatric urinary tract infection is when a child under the age of 15 has an infection in any part of the urinary system, which includes the kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra. It is a common type of paediatric infection which usually occurs very often during the first few years of life and only occasionally thereafter.
Possible Causes:
Urine is usually free of bacteria, viruses and fungi. It is sterile and contains salts, waste products and fluids. However, bacteria and other microorganisms from outside the body or from the digestive tract can sometimes enter the urinary tract and begin to multiply, causing an infection and inflammation.
Urinary tract infection (UTI) can affect any part of your urinary tract, from your kidneys to your bladder.
With children until 15 years of age, common causes of UTIs are constipation, urine holding and incomplete bladder emptying.
Risk Factors:
The risk factors for urinary tract Infections for children are:
- Constipation, since stool that fills up the rectum and colon puts pressure and sometimes even obstructs the bladder which stops it from emptying completely.
- Cryptorchidism, a condition when one or both testes do not descend from the abdomen into the scrotum, blocking the urinary tract.
- Holding urine for long periods of time.
- Not emptying the bladder completely.
- Improper personal hygiene and residual urine because of not cleaning yourself well after urinating.
Signs & Symptoms:
Symptoms for urinary tract Infections in children are:
- Burning or painful sensation while urinating.
- Passing frequent but small amount of urine.
- Strong, persistent urge and urgency to urinate.
- Foul smelling urine.
- Blood in the urine.
- Pain in the pelvic region, back and fever.
- Wetting during the day and/or night.
Diagnosis:
At Medcare, you child will be treated by expert paediatric urologists. The urologist will check for symptoms such as fever and pain, swelling and other signs of infection around the genitals. Urinalysis which help to diagnose UTI by checking urine sample for white blood cells, blood and bacteria may be suggested. Other factors such as constipation and bowel movement will also be investigated. A urine dipstick test is also conducted to identify bacterial content in the urine.
Treatment Options:
Meet a paediatric doctor at Medcare to diagnose and treat your child's condition correctly. The doctor will analyse the underlying cause of the UTI and might prescribe the right antibiotic if it is a bacterial infection.
Antibiotic prescriptions would generally last for just a few days.
However, if the symptoms keep coming back and if your child has recurring UTI more tests will be recommended to rule out other problems and antibiotics might have to be taken for a longer time, depending on what caused the infection and how long your child has been affected.
Children with recurring UTI, after being investigated, might not be treated with antibiotics in cases where the underlying infection is not bacterial, for example, congenital hydronephrosis, a condition present from birth, in which urine gets trapped in the kidney and drains slower than it should into the bladder.
Children who also suffer from pain in their bladder or while urinating will also be treated medically with mild painkillers to ease the pain.
FAQs:
الأسئلة الشائعة:
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Does cranberry juice help to prevent and treat UTI?
A: The benefits of cranberry juice are often highlighted, although, there is no solid evidence that shows it is effective in treating UTI and children with UTI. Although, drinking plenty of water can help flush out bacteria from the bladder and the urinary tract before it can set in.
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Do probiotics help treat UTI?
A: Over the counter probiotics can help change the type of good bacteria growing in your child's gut and urinary tract and protect the body from harmful bacteria.
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Is surgery a likely treatment option for children with UTI?
It is very unlikely that your child will require surgery to treat UTI, however, surgery might be required if the UTI is due to an anatomical problem.
