Health
Urinary Tract Infections In Small Children
As the name suggests, a urinary tract infection is an infection of the urinary tract. This includes the kidneys, the bladder and the uterus. The main cause of UTI is a colonization of the periurethral area, by a virulent organism that subsequently gains access to the bladder. The risk is higher in uncircumcised male infants as well as females. The first few months of a baby’s life makes him/her more prone to UTIs and thus, parents should be more concerned about the personal hygiene of the child.
UTI’s are usually treated with antibiotics. The antibiotics kill the germs that cause the UTI. In most cases, antibiotics can be given orally (by mouth). If the infection is severe, the antibiotics may be given in the hospital through a vein. To cure the UTI, your child must take all the medicine exactly as the doctor prescribes.
The researchers also found that a child’s age and race may play a role in the risk of urinary tract infection recurring and being resistant to antibiotics. Children between 2 and 6 years of age had a higher risk of recurrent urinary tract infection in comparison to children less than 2 years of age. Furthermore, although the non-white children in the study were less likely than white children to have recurrent urinary tract infection, they had a greater risk of having an antibiotic-resistant recurrent infection.
Voiding Dysfunction
Voiding dysfunction is characterized by some or all of the following: urgency, frequency, dysuria, hesitancy, dribbling of urine and overt incontinence. Symptoms of voiding dysfunction may be secondary to a UTI or to local irritants such as pinworm infestation or bubble bath, or hypercalciuria.
