The urinary tract is the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
The kidneys filter and remove waste and water from the blood to produce urine. The urine travels from the kidneys down 2 narrow tubes called the ureters. The urine is then stored in the bladder.
When your child does a wee, urine flows out of the body 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
Side view of the female urinary tract
Side view of the male urinary tract
A UTI (urinary tract infection) is an infection in the urine (wee). It usually starts in the bladder and sometimes affects the kidneys.
A UTI usually develops when germs (bacteria) from the poo, which are on the skin, get into the urethra and into the bladder. This can happen to any baby or child and is not due to poor hygiene.
UTIs are common. They are most common in babies under the age of 12 months but can affect children of any age.
There are some conditions which put babies and children at higher risk of UTIs:
Children with a UTI may have the following symptoms:
Babies and young children can't tell you about their discomfort when doing a wee and you may not notice them going more frequently. Signs of a UTI in babies and young children can include:
Sometimes a simple UTI can become more serious in young babies or children when the infection spreads to involve the kidneys, or spreads into the blood stream. If this happens, see your family doctor or after-hours medical centre urgently. Signs of this can include:
Testing your child's urine is the only way to know for sure if they have a UTI. Your family doctor can arrange a urine test [1] for your child.
Antibiotics are the main treatment for UTIs. Treatment is usually for 3 to 7 days. This depends on several factors, including how unwell your child is and whether they have underlying kidney problems.
Encouraging your child to drink more fluid may help. You can give pain relief (paracetamol) if your child is in discomfort. You must follow the dosage instructions on the bottle. It is dangerous to give more than the recommended dose.
The following babies and children with a UTI usually need to go to hospital for intravenous antibiotics (given directly into a vein):
Your child's symptoms should start to improve after 48 hours of antibiotic treatment.
If your baby has had a UTI and is under 12 months of age, they may need further tests.
The most common investigation is a renal ultrasound [2]. This is to find out if there are any blockages and to check if the kidneys are normal in shape, size and position.
A small number of babies and children may need an MCU (micturating cysto-urethrogram) [3] or a nuclear medicine scan [4].
A specialist at the hospital needs to request these tests.
You should see your family doctor if:
You should see your family doctor or after-hours medical centre urgently if your baby or child:
Dial 111 within New Zealand for urgent medical help if you are very concerned about your child. Use the appropriate emergency number in other countries.
Parents often want to know what they can do to prevent UTIs. Not all UTIs can be prevented, but here are some suggestions that may help some children:
There is a suggestion in studies of UTI in boys that circumcision might slightly reduce the incidence of UTI. But the benefit is small. Most specialists would not recommend circumcision for this reason unless there are repeated UTIs which are causing major health problems.
Try to avoid anything that may cause irritation to your child's bottom:
Graphics of the urinary tract have been reproduced from NKUDIC (the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse), United States. (These images are in the public domain; reproduction permitted).
Website: https://www.niddk.nih.gov [6]
This page last reviewed 02 December 2019.
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Links
[1] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/urine-tests
[2] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/renal-kidney-ultrasound
[3] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/micturating-cysto-urethrogram-mcu
[4] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/nuclear-medicine-scans
[5] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/constipation
[6] https://www.niddk.nih.gov
[7] https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F244%3Flanguage%3Dzh-hans