What I need to know about 

My Child’s Urinary Tract 

Infection 

 

U.S. Department 

of Health and 

Human Services 

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases 

Information Clearinghouse

 

What I need to know about 

My Child’s Urinary Tract 

Infection 

U.S. Department 

of Health and

Human Services

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases 

Information Clearinghouse
Contents 

What is a urinary tract infection (UTI)?............... 1

What is the urinary tract?....................................... 1

What causes UTIs ................................................... 3

Who gets UTIs?....................................................... 4

Are UTIs serious?................................................... 5

What are the symptoms of a UTI? ........................ 5

When should I call a health care provider? .......... 7

How are UTIs diagnosed?...................................... 8

How are UTIs treated?......................................... 10

Will my child need more tests after 

the UTI is gone?.................................................... 12

How can UTIs be prevented? .............................. 13

Eating, Diet, and Nutrition .................................. 13

Points to Remember ............................................. 14

Hope through Research........................................ 15

Pronunciation Guide............................................. 16

For More Information .......................................... 17

Acknowledgments ................................................. 18
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is a urinary tract infection (UTI)? 

A UTI is an infection in the urinary tract. 

Infections are caused by microbes—organisms 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 body’s 

natural defenses and cause infection. 

What is the urinary tract? 

The urinary tract is the body’s drainage system 

for removing wastes and extra water. The urinary 

tract includes two kidneys, two ureters, a bladder, 

and a urethra. The kidneys are a pair of beanshaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They 

are located below the ribs, one on each side of 

the spine, toward the middle of the back. Every 

minute, the two kidneys process about 3 ounces 

of blood, removing wastes and extra water. The 

wastes and extra water make up the 1 to 2 quarts 

of urine produced each day. Children produce 

*See page 16 for tips on how to say the words in 

bold type. 

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less urine each day; the amount produced depends 

on their age. The urine travels from the kidneys 

down two narrow tubes called the ureters. The 

urine is then stored in a balloonlike organ called 

the bladder and emptied through the urethra, a 

tube at the bottom of the bladder. The opening of 

the urethra is at the end of the penis in boys and in 

front of the vagina in girls. 

Front view of the urinary tract 

 

 

Kidneys 

Ureters 

Urethra 

Bladder 

Kidney 

Bladder 

Ureter 

Urethra 

Vagina 

Side view of the 

female urinary tract 

Kidney 

Bladder 

Ureter 

Urethra 

Side view of the 

male urinary tract 

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What causes UTIs? 

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 body’s 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 doesn’t 

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. 

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Some children are just more prone to UTIs than 

others, just as some children are more prone to 

getting coughs, colds, or ear infections. 

Who gets UTIs? 

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. 

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Are UTIs serious? 

Most UTIs are not serious, but some infections 

can lead to serious problems. Chronic kidney 

infections—infections that recur or last a long 

time—can cause permanent damage. This damage 

can include kidney scars, poor kidney function, 

high blood pressure, and other problems. Some 

acute kidney infections—infections that develop 

suddenly—can be life threatening, especially if the 

bacteria enter the bloodstream. 

What are the symptoms of a UTI? 

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 

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●	 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 

UTI symptoms can include 

irritability. 

6 
 

 

When should I call a health care 

provider? 

Call a health care provider right away if your child 

has any of these symptoms: 

●	 a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher in an infant or 

101 degrees or higher in an older child 

●	 a burning feeling during urination 

●	 frequent or intense urges to urinate, even when 

there is little urine to pass 

●	 pain in the back or side below the ribs 

●	 cloudy, dark, bloody, or foul-smelling urine 

Call a health care provider 

if your child has symptoms 

of a UTI. 

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How are UTIs diagnosed? 

A UTI is diagnosed by testing a sample of your 

child’s urine. The way the urine is collected 

depends on your child’s age: 

●	 If your child is still in diapers, the health care 

provider may place a plastic collection bag over 

your child’s genital area after the area around 

the urethra has been washed with soap and 

warm water or a sterile wipe. The bag will be 

sealed to your child’s skin with an adhesive strip. 

The bag should be removed as soon as your child 

urinates into it, and the urine sample should be 

processed right away. 

Plastic collection bag 

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●	 For infants, urine may need to be collected 

using a thin tube called a catheter. When using 

a catheter, the health care provider first cleans 

the area around the opening of the urethra 

with a germ-killing solution. The catheter is 

inserted gently into the urethra until it reaches 

the bladder. The bladder is then drained into 

a clean container. Using a catheter prevents 

bacteria on the skin from getting into the urine 

sample. 

●	 Another method for collecting a urine sample 

from infants is to insert a needle directly into the 

bladder through the skin of the lower stomach. 

Using a needle also prevents bacteria on the skin 

from getting into the urine sample. 

●	 Older children are given a cup to urinate into. 

The health care provider looks at the urine sample 

with a microscope to check for bacteria or pus. 

The sample is also sent to a lab. The lab performs 

a urine culture by placing the sample in a tube or 

dish with a substance that encourages any bacteria 

present to grow. The bacteria that grow can be 

identified and tested to see which medicines will 

work best to treat the infection. A urine culture 

usually takes 1 to 3 days to complete. 

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How are UTIs treated? 

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. 

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You should let your child drink as much as your 

child wants. But don’t force your child to drink 

large amounts of fluid. Call your child’s health 

care provider if your child doesn’t want to or isn’t 

able to drink. Also, talk with your child’s 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. 

You should let your child drink as 

much as your child wants. 

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Will my child need more tests after 

the UTI is gone?

Talk with your child’s health care provider after 

your child’s 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 can be found in the National 

Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information 

Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) fact sheet Urinary Tract 

Infections in Children at www.urologic.niddk.nih.gov. 

Pictures of the urinary tract may 

show that your child has VUR or 

a blockage in the urinary tract. 

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How can UTIs be prevented? 

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. 

Eating, Diet, and Nutrition 

To help prevent a UTI, make sure your child drinks 

enough fluids each day. Talk with your child’s 

health care provider to find out how much fluid 

your child should drink. 

13 
Points to Remember 

●	 A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection 

in the urinary tract. Infections are caused by 

microbes—organisms 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 

child’s urine. 

●	 Bacteria-fighting medicines called antibiotics are 

used to treat a UTI. 

●	 Talk with your child’s health care provider 

after your child’s 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. 

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Hope through Research 

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive 

and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) sponsors several 

programs aimed at understanding urologic 

diseases in adults and children. The NIDDK’s 

Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic 

Diseases supports efforts to develop more effective 

treatments for UTIs in children caused by VUR. 

The Randomized Intervention for Vesicoureteral 

Reflux (RIVUR) is a multicenter trial designed to 

determine whether taking antibiotics every day is 

an effective way to prevent recurrence of UTIs in 

children with VUR. More information about the 

RIVUR study, funded under National Institutes of 

Health clinical trial number NCT00405704, can be 

found at www.cscc.unc.edu/rivur. 

Participants in clinical trials can play a more 

active role in their own health care, gain access to 

new research treatments before they are widely 

available, and help others by contributing to 

medical research. For information about current 

studies, visit www.ClinicalTrials.gov. 

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Pronunciation Guide 

adhesive (ad-HEE-siv)

antibiotics (AN-tee-by-OT-ikss)

bacteria (bak-TIHR-ee-uh)

bladder (BLAD-ur)

catheter (KATH-uh-tur)

circumcised (SUR-kuhm-syzd)

constipation (KON-stih-PAY-shuhn)

diarrhea (DY-uh-REE-uh)

Escherichia coli (esh-uh-RIK-ee-uh) (KOH-ly)

kidneys (KID-neez)

nausea (NAW-zee-uh)

ureters (YOOR-uh-turz)

urethra (yoo-REE-thruh)

urinary tract (YOOR-ih-NAIR-ee) (trakt)

urination (YOOR-ih-nay-shuhn)

vesicoureteral reflux (VESS-ih-koh-yoo-REE-tur-uhl) 

(REE-fluhks)

vomiting (VOM-it-ing)

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For More Information 

The NKUDIC has a fact sheet called Vesicoureteral 

Reflux that gives more information about VUR and 

a fact sheet called Urine Blockage in Newborns that 

gives more information about urinary blockages in 

infants. 

American Academy of Pediatrics 

141 Northwest Point Boulevard 

Elk Grove Village, IL 60007–1098 

Phone: 847–434–4000 

Fax: 847–434–8000 

Internet: www.aap.org 

American Urological Association Foundation 

1000 Corporate Boulevard 

Linthicum, MD 21090 

Phone: 1–800–828–7866 or 410–689–3990 

Fax: 410–689–3998 

Email: auafoundation@auafoundation.org 

Internet: www.auafoundation.org 

www.UrologyHealth.org 

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National Kidney Foundation 

30 East 33rd Street 

New York, NY 10016 

Phone: 1–800–622–9010 or 212–889–2210 

Fax: 212–689–9261 

Internet: www.kidney.org 

Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates 

East Holly Avenue 

P.O. Box 56 

Pitman, NJ 08071–0056 

Phone: 1–888–TAP–SUNA (1–888–827–7862) 

or 856–256–2335 

Email: suna@ajj.com 

Internet: www.suna.org 

Acknowledgments 

The NKUDIC would like to thank the following 

members of the American Society of Pediatric 

Nephrology Clinical Affairs Committee for their 

review of the original version of this booklet: 

Maria Ferris, M.D.; Barbara Fivush, M.D.; Joseph 

Flynn, M.D.; Ann Guillot, M.D.; Tej Mattoo, M.D.; 

Cynthia Pan, M.D.; Jeff Saland, M.D.; and Steve 

Wassner, M.D. 

Thank you also to Daniel Schiavone, M.D., of Blue 

Ridge Pediatric Associates in Winchester, VA, for 

field-testing the original version of this publication. 

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3 Information Way 

National Kidney and Urologic 

Diseases Information Clearinghouse 

Bethesda, MD 20892–3580 

Phone: 1–800–891–5390 

TTY: 1–866–569–1162 

Fax: 703–738–4929 

Email: nkudic@info.niddk.nih.gov 

Internet: www.urologic.niddk.nih.gov 

The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information 

Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) is a service of the National Institute 

of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The 

NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 

1987, the Clearinghouse provides information about diseases 

of the kidneys and urologic system to people with kidney and 

urologic disorders and to their families, health care professionals, 

and the public. The NKUDIC answers inquiries, develops and 

distributes publications, and works closely with professional and 

patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate 

resources about kidney and urologic diseases. 

This publication is not copyrighted. The Clearinghouse 

encourages users of this publication to duplicate and distribute 

as many copies as desired. 

This publication is available at www.urologic.niddk.nih.gov. 

This publication may contain information about medications. 

When prepared, this publication included the most current 

information available. For updates or for questions about any 

medications, contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 

toll-free at 1–888–INFO–FDA (1–888–463–6332) or visit 

www.fda.gov. Consult your health care provider for more 

information. 
 

U.S. DEpArTMENT OF HEALTH 

AND HUMAN SErVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

NIH Publication No. 12–6075 

December 2011 

The NIDDK prints on recycled paper with bio based ink.