Is Special Testing Required
Children with recurrent UTIs may benefit from ultrasound imaging to ensure the kidneys look normal and symmetric. A test called a voiding cystourethrogram may be done to ensure there is no backward flow of urine that can predispose to infections and kidney scarring. Your doctor will discuss the necessity of these tests with you.
How Are Utis Diagnosed
To diagnose a UTI, health care providers ask questions about what’s going on, do an exam, and take a sample of pee for testing.
How a sample is taken depends on a child’s age. Older kids might simply need to pee into a sterile cup. For younger children in diapers, a catheter is usually preferred. This is when a thin tube is inserted into the urethra up to the bladder to get a “clean” urine sample.
The sample may be used for a urinalysis or a urine culture . Knowing what bacteria are causing the infection can help your doctor choose the best treatment.
What If My Child Has Had Quite A Few Bladder Or Kidney Infections
If your child has had pyelonephritis or cystitis more than a few times, your doctor may want to get x-rays of your child’s urinary tract. The x-rays would show the bladder, the ureters and the kidneys. Or your doctor might get a sonogram. The x-ray or the sonogram can show if there is a problem in the kidneys, the ureters or the bladder that causes infections. Your doctor may refer your child to a special doctor who treats urinary tract problems. Sometimes taking a low dose of an antibiotic for a long time can stop repeat infections.
Most children who have many UTIs don’t have a problem in the urinary tract. Instead, they have poor urinary habits. Teaching your child good bathroom habits can help prevent UTIs.
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Urinary Tract Infection Toddlers Treatment
If you suspect a urinary tract infection it is important to visit your toddler’s pediatrician. The most common treatment for a urinary tract infection is a prescribed course of antibiotics.
Along with the medication, there are a number of measures you can take at home to speed up recovery. These include making sure your toddler is always well hydrated. Be sure your toddler is drinking enough water and having a healthy share of fruits through the day. Water and fruits are the simplest way to prevent constipation, and thereby a urinary tract infection. If your toddler is prone to UTIs avoid using strong soaps and shampoos. These can cause irritation and aggravate infection. Also be sure to change soiled diapers immediately and to wipe the toddler from front to back, shielding the urethra from present bacteria.
Seattle Children’s Urgent Care Locations

If your childs illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.
Treatment for a Bladder Infection
Prevention of Bladder Infections in Girls
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Eating Diet & Nutrition
Food choices do not help prevent or treat bladder infections in children, but drinking plenty of liquids may help. Talk with a health care professional about how much liquid your child should drink, depending on his or her age, size, and other health conditions.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and other components of the National Institutes of Health conduct and support research into many diseases and conditions.
How Do I Know Whether My Baby Has A Uti
Your infant may have a urinary tract infection if any of the following symptoms exist:
- Fever of 100.4F or higher
- Crying during urination
- Refusing to eat
Many times, fever or acting a bit unwell is the only symptom of a UTI in infants.
If you suspect your baby may have a UTI, call a pediatrician. He or she will collect a urine sample from your babybest if collected by inserting a small catheter into the pee channel and test the urine for bacteria. It can take up to 2 days for the test to let us know if there is an infection. If your baby has an infection, the doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics. If your child is prescribed antibiotics, it is important to give every dose of the medication, even if your child seems better.
Most children will never get a UTI. Of those who do, though, some may also have a problem with their ureters or kidneys, such as a condition called vesicoureteral reflux where urine can flow backwards from the bladder up the ureters to the kidneys . In some children, VUR only causes an occasional UTI, while in others it can cause serious harm to the kidneys from repeated infections, making children very ill.
Several research groups at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are studying UTIs in children to better try and treat and even prevent them.
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How Can I Help Prevent Recurrent Utis
You can help your child reduce their risk of developing another UTI. Dr. Kronborg shares these suggestions to help prevent infections down the road.
Who Gets Utis Which Children And Toddlers Are At Risk
UTIs are most common in immunosuppressed children and children who have been on antibiotics for a long period of time for other issues. If your child recently went through an organ transplantation, they are also more vulnerable to a urinary tract infection. Children can also be born with abnormalities of their urinary tract that make them more likely to get an infection.
Adults are also vulnerable to urinary tract infections.
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How Are Utis Treated
UTIs are treated with antibiotics. After several days of antibiotics, your doctor may repeat the urine tests to be sure that the infection is gone. It’s important to make sure of this because an incompletely treated UTI can come back or spread.
If a child has severe pain when peeing, the doctor may also prescribe medicine that numbs the lining of the urinary tract.
Give prescribed antibiotics on schedule for as many days as your doctor directs. Keep track of your child’s trips to the bathroom, and ask your child about symptoms like pain or burning during peeing. These symptoms should improve within 2 to 3 days after antibiotics are started.
Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids, but skip drinks that containe caffeine , such as soda and iced tea.
Most UTIs are cured within a week with treatment.
What Causes A Bladder Infection
Most often a bladder infection is caused by bacteria that are normally found in the bowel. The bladder has several systems to prevent infection. For example, urinating most often flushes out bacteria before it reaches the bladder. Sometimes, your childs body cant fight the bacteria and the bacteria cause an infection. Certain health conditions can put children at risk for bladder infections.
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What Increases Your Risk
Risk factors of urinary tract infection include:
- Abnormalities of the urinary tract, including kidney stones and other urinary obstructions. Structural or functional problems that limit the kidneys’ or the bladder’s ability to eliminate urine properly can increase the risk of UTIs. These problems may be present at birth or may develop soon after.
- Infrequent urination, incomplete emptying of the bladder, or constipation. These patterns are common during toilet training and make it easier for bacteria to build up in the urine.
- An uncircumcised penis. The foreskin can trap bacteria, which can then enter the urinary tract and cause infection.
- Catheterization, which is used in a hospital when a child is unable to urinate on his or her own. Bacteria can enter the catheter and start an infection.
- Previous UTIs. The risk for future infections increases with each additional infection.
- History of UTI or the backward flow of urine from the bladder into the kidneys in a parent or sibling.
Infants and young children who have UTIs often have vesicoureteral reflux .
Urinary Tract Infections In Boys

- Urology
Urinary tract infections in boys are the result of bacteria getting into the bladder and staying there. UTIs are common in kids, especially girls and uncircumcised boys. E. Coli, responsible for over 75% of UTIs, doubles every 20 minutes in the bladder. That means if there are 100 bacteria of E. Coli in the bladder and you wait three hours to go to the bathroom, you will have over 50,000 bacteria in your bladder. The more bacteria in the bladder and the longer it stays there, the more likely you are to get a UTI.
There are many things that can be done to both treat urinary tract infections in boys and prevent them in the future.
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When Should I See A Doctor
See a doctor if your child:
- has signs or symptoms of a UTI
- has been diagnosed with a UTI and
- is not improving after two days of taking antibiotics
- is having trouble taking the antibiotics or is vomiting
- isnt drinking enough fluid
- develops back pain
In an emergency, always call 000 immediately. Otherwise, contact your local doctor or visit your nearest hospital emergency department. If its not an emergency but you have concerns, contact 13 Health . Qualified staff will give you advice on who to talk to and how quickly you should do it. You can phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
About Urinary Tract Infections In Children
Urinary tract infections in children are fairly common, but not usually serious. They can be effectively treated with antibiotics.
A UTI may be classed as either:
- an upper UTI if it’s a kidney infection or an infection of the ureters, the tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder
- a lower UTI if it’s a bladder infection or an infection of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body
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When May My Child Need To Be Hospitalized For A Uti
Your child may need to be hospitalized for the following reasons:
- If theyre a young infant or child.
- If they have a high fever.
- If they have back pain.
- If theyre dehydrated .
- If he or she is unable to tolerate oral antibiotics.
- When there is a concern that the infection has spread to their bloodstream.
Urinary Tract Infections Are Prevalent
Urinary tract infections are prevalent in kids especially if you have an infant in diapers or an older child that holds in their urine for more extended periods . This is especially true for a constipated toddler who is less able or unwilling to empty their bladder. However, a childs age does not matter when it comes to urinary tract infections. All kids of all ages can get UTIs.
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Treatment If The Condition Gets Worse Or Recurs
If your child’s urinary tract infection does not improve after treatment with antibiotics, your child needs further evaluation and may need more antibiotics. Your child may have a structural problem that is making the infection hard to treat. Or the cause of the infection may be different from the types of bacteria that usually cause UTIs.
If the infection spreads and affects kidney function or causes widespread infection , your child may be hospitalized. These complications are rare, but they can be very serious. Children with impaired immune systems, untreated urinary tract obstructions, and other conditions that affect the kidneys or bladder are at higher risk for complications.
If tests show a structural problem in the urinary tract that increases your child’s risk for recurrent UTIs, the doctor may consider preventive antibiotics.
When To Call The Doctor
If youve given the full course of antibiotics and your toddler is still symptomatic, call your doctor. They might want to retest the urine and/or do other tests to see if theres an underlying medical issue causing the symptoms.
- Your child has a fever of 101 degrees F or more
- Your child has a fever with shaking chills
- Your child has pain while urinating
- Urine is bad-smelling or bloody
While UTIs can be painful, prompt diagnosis and treatment will help to alleviate symptoms. Usually, after starting antibiotics, symptoms start to abate within two to three days. Most UTIs are cured within a week of starting treatment.
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Mouth Yeast Infections In Toddler Girls
In addition to the vagina and surrounding area, yeast infections can also occur in the babys mouth. Another common type is usually called oral thrush. It appears as white patches in the babys mouth. appears on the tongue, palate or the inside of the cheek.
It is usually difficult to remove, the canker sores, and lead to bleeding that occur if the patch is removed. In general, oral thrush caused by yeast candida albicans which is transmitted through an infected mothers vagina during labor or transmission through milk bottles and teats are not clean, or improper hand washing. Oral thrush in babies occurs 7-10 days after delivery.
The Symptoms of Mouth Yeast Infections in Toddler Girls
Yeast candida albicans is a saprofit. If the babys body resistance is down or on the antibiotic, it may occur yeast growth that is rapid and can cause infections such as oral thrush and diarrhea. So, that when the use of certain antibiotics at ages under one year will lead to thrush or oral persistent thrush.
In infants, symptoms of thrush infection is the body temperature rises to 40 degrees Celsius, drooling more than usual, fussy, would not eat or regurgitated food, do not want bottles milk and even breast milk, and restless. It is usually also accompanied with bad breath are less savory, due to bacteria or yeast. While in young children, sometimes the temperature rise was too high and reduced appetite.
Sprue shape will look like:
Overall, the symptoms of oral thrush are as follows:
Treatment For Urinary Tract Infections

Babies under 3 months usually need to have antibiotics directly into a vein through a drip to treat a urinary tract infection . This means they need to be treated in hospital.
Babies older than 3 months can usually be treated at home with oral antibiotics.
Your doctor will check your childs urine again after treatment to make sure the infection has cleared up.
If there are any concerns about how your childs urinary tract is working, your doctor might refer your child to a specialist for further advice and treatment.
If your baby needs hospital treatment for a UTI, it can be quite upsetting. It might help to know that most babies get over UTIs quickly and dont need ongoing treatment.
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What Are Some Good Bathroom Habits That My Child Should Follow
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Teach your daughter to wipe herself from front to back after she goes to the bathroom.
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Teach your daughter to lower her pants and underpants to her ankles and to sit comfortably on the toilet. If her feet don’t touch the floor, put a step stool in front of the toilet, so she can put her feet on it and be comfortable.
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Teach your son to completely open his pants and underpants so his penis isn’t pressed by clothing when he is urinating.
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Teach your child to urinate regularly. Tell your child to not hold in urine for a long time. Going to the bathroom frequently can help prevent UTIs. Children who have had repeat UTIs should urinate every 1½ to 2 hours during the day. Drinking lots of fluids will help your child urinate more often.
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Treat constipation. Constipation can give your child a sudden need to urinate.
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Teach your child to empty the bladder all the way when he or she urinates. No quickie bathroom visits during a TV commercial!
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Give your child antibiotics only when your doctor tells you to. Antibiotics can kill the good bacteria that normally live on the skin of the genital area. When the good, protective bacteria are gone, harmful bacteria can grow and cause a UTI.
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