| Urinary tract infections in babies | 510.000000000000 | Urinary tract infections in babies | Urinary tract infections in babies | U | English | NA | Baby (1-12 months) | Bladder;Urethra | Renal system/Urinary system | Conditions and diseases | Adult (19+) | Painful urination;Fever;Abdominal pain;Vomiting | | 2009-10-18T04:00:00Z | | | | | | 9.70000000000000 | 53.1000000000000 | 810.000000000000 | | Flat Content | Health A-Z | <p>Learn about the symptoms and treatment of urinary tract infections in babies and children. Helpful suggestions for prevention are also included.</p> | <p>A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a bacterial infection of the bladder and sometimes the kidneys. A bladder infection is called cystitis. Bladder infections occur when bacteria travel up the urethra to the bladder. Usually the urethra is protected, but if it becomes irritated by bubble bath or shampoo, bacteria can grow there. Careless wiping after a bowel movement can also cause irritation. Bladder infections need to be treated promptly so the infection does not spread to the kidneys. A kidney infection is called pyelonephritis. </p> | | <h2>Key points</h2>
<ul><li>A UTI is a bacterial infection of the bladder and sometimes the kidneys.</li>
<li>Symptoms of UTI include frequent or painful urination, wetting during the day or night, leaking or dribbling, and foul-smelling urine.</li>
<li>Treatment for UTI include antibiotics, giving your child lots of fluids, and acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce pain or fever.</li>
<li>To prevent UTI in babies and children do not wash the genital area with soap, do not use bubble bath and give your child plenty of liquids.</li></ul> | <p>Sometimes UTIs can be caused by a kidney or bladder abnormality. Babies who have a UTI will need to have special radiological tests to look for abnormalities in the kidney or bladder. </p><p>Symptoms of UTI include frequent or painful urination, wetting during the day or night, leaking or dribbling, and foul-smelling urine.
<a href="/Article?contentid=30&language=English">Fever</a>, stomach aches in the lower abdomen, and
<a href="/Article?contentid=746&language=English">vomiting</a> may also be present. </p><p>If your child develops symptoms of a UTI, call the doctor to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. The doctor will want to do a urine culture. It is sometimes a challenge to do a urine culture on babies under one year of age, since you cannot simply hold a urine bottle under the baby as they urinate. The doctor may provide a special sterilized device that sticks onto the baby’s genital area to catch the urine over time. Sometimes a small catheter may be very gently inserted into the bladder to collect the urine sample.</p><p>In older children who are toilet trained, use a sterilized jar from the doctor’s office. Wipe your child’s genital area with water and cotton balls before they urinate. After they start to urinate into the toilet, place the jar under the stream of urine. Remove the jar before they finish urinating. This method is known as collecting a midstream urine sample. </p><h2>Treating UTI</h2><p>While waiting for the urine culture results to come back, the doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics to kill the bacteria causing the infection. Try not to forget any doses, and make sure your child takes all the medication prescribed. They will probably feel better within 48 hours of starting the medication. However, do not stop the medication simply because they feel better. Give the antibiotic for the full amount of time prescribed, to prevent the UTI from flaring up again. </p><p>In the meantime, here are a few other ways you can help your child:</p><ul><li>Give them lots of fluid to help clear the infection.</li><li>If their urination is painful, or if they have a
<a href="/Article?contentid=30&language=English">fever</a> above 38.5°C (101°F), give your child <a href="/Article?contentid=62&language=English">acetaminophen</a> or
<a href="/Article?contentid=153&language=English">ibuprofen</a> as directed on the package. </li><li>Two days after starting antibiotics, bring your child back to the doctor to find out the results of the urine culture and to make sure the antibiotics are working properly. Your physician may want to check your child’s urine again in a couple of weeks. </li></ul><p>If your child has back pain or starts acting very sick, bring them to the doctor right away. Also take them to see a doctor if their
<a href="/Article?contentid=30&language=English">fever</a> or painful urination lasts more than 48 hours after they start taking the antibiotics. </p><h2>Preventing UTI</h2><p>Here are some tips for preventing UTIs in babies and children:</p><ul><li>When bathing your child, wash the genital area with water, not soap.</li><li>Do not use bubble bath, as it is quite irritating.</li><li>Do not put shampoo or other soaps into the bath water.</li><li>Give your child lots of fluid each day to keep up a good flow of urine.</li></ul><p>Here are a few more tips for preventing UTIs as your child gets older and becomes toilet trained:</p><ul><li>Encourage your child to urinate after taking a bath.</li><li>Teach your daughter to wipe from front to back after urinating and passing a bowel movement.</li><li>Encourage your child to urinate at least every three to four hours during the day.</li><li>Give your child loose cotton underwear, and encourage them not to wear underwear at night.</li></ul><p>If an abnormality of the kidneys or bladder exists, then prevention of UTIs may require a daily low-dose antibiotic. Your physician will be able to give you information and advice about the prophylactic use of an antibiotic to prevent urinary tract infection. </p> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | https://assets.aboutkidshealth.ca/AKHAssets/urinary_tract_infections_baby.jpg | | | | | | | Urinary tract infections in babies | | False | | | | | | | | |
