Question: What is (are) What I need to know about My Child's Urinary Tract Infection ?
Answer: A UTI is an infection in the urinary tract. Infections are caused by microbesorganisms too small to be seen without a microscope. Bacteria * are the most common cause of UTIs. Normally, bacteria that enter the urinary tract are quickly removed by the body before they cause symptoms. But sometimes bacteria overcome the bodys natural defenses and cause infection. *See the Pronunciation Guide for tips on how to say the underlined words.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What causes What I need to know about My Child's Urinary Tract Infection ?
Answer: Most UTIs are caused by bacteria that live in the bowel, the part of the digestive tract where stool is changed from liquid to solid. The bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) causes most UTIs. The urinary tract has several systems to prevent infection. The points where the ureters attach to the bladder act like one-way valves to prevent urine from backing up, or refluxing, toward the kidneys, and urination washes microbes out of the body. The bodys natural defenses also prevent infection. But despite these safeguards, infections still occur. Other factors that may cause a child to get a UTI include the following: - Waiting to urinate. Regular urination helps flush away bacteria. Holding urine allows bacteria to grow. - Making too little urine. A child that doesnt drink enough fluids may not make enough urine to flush away bacteria. - Constipation. Constipation is a condition in which a child has fewer than two bowel movements a week. Stools can be hard, dry, small, and difficult to pass. The hard stool in the bowel may press against the urinary tract and block the flow of urine, allowing bacteria to grow. Some children are just more prone to UTIs than others, just as some children are more prone to getting coughs, colds, or ear infections.
Source: NIDDK

Question: Who is at risk for What I need to know about My Child's Urinary Tract Infection? ?
Answer: Any child can get a UTI, though girls get UTIs more often than boys. Children with a condition called vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) are at higher risk for UTIs. VUR causes urine to reflux at the point where one or both ureters attach to the bladder. When urine stays in the urinary tract, bacteria have a chance to grow and spread. Infants and young children who get a UTI often have VUR. Boys younger than 6 months who are not circumcised are at greater risk for a UTI than circumcised boys the same age. Boys who are circumcised have had the foreskin, which is the skin that covers the tip of the penis, removed.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What are the symptoms of What I need to know about My Child's Urinary Tract Infection ?
Answer: A child with a UTI may not have any symptoms. When symptoms are present, they can range from mild to severe. UTI symptoms can include - fever - pain or burning during urination with only a few drops of urine at a time - irritability - not eating - nausea - diarrhea - vomiting - cloudy, dark, bloody, or foul-smelling urine - urinating often - pain in the back or side below the ribs - leaking urine into clothes or bedding in older children
Source: NIDDK

Question: What are the treatments for What I need to know about My Child's Urinary Tract Infection ?
Answer: Bacteria-fighting medicines called antibiotics are used to treat a UTI. While the lab is doing the urine culture, the health care provider may begin treatment with an antibiotic that treats the bacteria most likely to be causing the infection. Once culture results are known, the health care provider may switch your child to a different antibiotic that targets the specific type of bacteria. Your child will need to take antibiotics for at least 3 to 5 days and maybe as long as several weeks. Be sure your child takes every pill or every dose of liquid. Your child should feel better after a couple of days, but the infection might come back if your child stops taking the antibiotic too early. You should let your child drink as much as your child wants. But dont force your child to drink large amounts of fluid. Call your childs health care provider if your child doesnt want to or isnt able to drink. Also, talk with your childs health care provider if your child needs medicine for the pain of a UTI. The health care provider can recommend an over-the-counter pain medicine. A heating pad on the back or abdomen may also help.
Source: NIDDK

Question: How to diagnose What I need to know about My Child's Urinary Tract Infection ?
Answer: Talk with your childs health care provider after your childs UTI is gone. The health care provider may want to do more tests to check for VUR or a blockage in the urinary tract. Repeated infections in an abnormal urinary tract may cause kidney damage. The kinds of tests ordered will depend on the child and the type of infection. VUR and blockages in the urinary tract often go away as a child grows. In some cases, surgery may be needed to correct any defects in the urinary tract. More information about tests for VUR or a blockage in the urinary tract is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Urinary Tract Infections in Children.
Source: NIDDK

Question: How to prevent What I need to know about My Child's Urinary Tract Infection ?
Answer: You can take the following steps to help prevent your child from getting a UTI: - Teach your child not to hold in urine and to go to the bathroom whenever your child feels the urge. - Teach your child how to properly clean himself or herself after using the bathroom to keep bacteria from entering the urinary tract. - Have your child wear loose-fitting clothes. Tight clothes can trap moisture, which allows bacteria to grow. - Buy your child cotton underwear. Cotton lets in air to dry the area. - If your child has constipation, talk with a health care provider about the best treatment options.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What to do for What I need to know about My Child's Urinary Tract Infection ?
Answer: To help prevent a UTI, make sure your child drinks enough fluids each day. Talk with your childs health care provider to find out how much fluid your child should drink.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What to do for What I need to know about My Child's Urinary Tract Infection ?
Answer: - A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in the urinary tract. Infections are caused by microbesorganisms too small to be seen without a microscope. - Most UTIs are caused by bacteria that live in the bowel, the part of the digestive tract where stool is changed from liquid to solid. - Any child can get a UTI, though girls get UTIs more often than boys. - Most UTIs are not serious, but some infections can lead to serious problems. - A child with a UTI may not have any symptoms. When symptoms are present, they can range from mild to severe. - A UTI is diagnosed by testing a sample of your childs urine. - Bacteria-fighting medicines called antibiotics are used to treat a UTI. - Talk with your childs health care provider after your childs UTI is gone. The health care provider may want to do more tests to check for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) or a blockage in the urinary tract. - You can take steps to help prevent your child from getting a UTI.
Source: NIDDK