Urinary Tract Infection In Toddlers Among
toddlers, about percent Girls and almost 1 percent of boys possibly have
UTI. This happens mostly during their first few years of life. Urine drains
out from the kidneys [which filter the blood] through tubes [ureters]
into the bladder. In some cases the bacteria loaded solid waste in the diaper is the source. The most common symptoms of UTI are frequent urination, cloudy, foul-smelling urine, tenderness in the pelvic area. The toddler may be feverish, nauseated, and even vomiting at times. We need to call a doctor if we are suspicious. If untreated the urinary infections can move into the kidneys and can cause permanent damage and even kidney failure. According to Doctors, children under 2 are more likely to suffer serious problem than older children. If your child has the symptoms of a UTI, the doctor will collect a sterile urine sample. Bacteria on the skin and in the air often get into the urine, hence using a cup or plastic bag to collect the urine may lead to false positive rates. So it is better to collect urine by a tube (a catheter) through the urethra and get urine straight from the bladder. Antibiotics such as penicillin, amoxicillin, or nitrofurantoin, are the most commonly used medicines. The doctor will generally give a liquid or chewable tablet prescription to take home, with instructions to administer between one and four doses a day. After a day or two, the infection will disappear. The child will look healthy again. But we need to stick to that prescription for some more time as per the suggestion of the doctor. Because most UTIs are stubborn and tend to reappear. The infections will develop resistance to the drugs if not completely destroyed. If the toddler is very sick and unable to eat or drink, then IV drugs needs to be administered. Toddlers who need intravenous medication will have to necessarily spend few days in the hospital. After the antibiotics treatment is over the pediatrician will want to make sure all of the bacteria have been destroyed. The doctor will possibly conduct another urine culture test to confirm the complete destruction of the bacteria. If there are any bacteria left, the child will be given another course of antibiotics. In order
to prevent the infections we have to the bottom of the toddler clean,
Change those diapers as soon as possible, and wipe from front to back
even for boys. Most UTIs in toddlers originate in the urethra, from bacteria
around the bottom.
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