Symptoms & Causes of Bladder Infection in Children

The urinary tract is a very significant organ system where the kidneys filter blood and form urine which carries the water-soluble wastes out of the body. The formed urine is stored in the bladder empties the fluid at regular intervals with the help of the urethra.

It has been noticed that many children below the age of two years suffer from bladder infection. The difficulty lies in the fact that these kids are too little to express how they feel during the infection. Normally, when a young child suffers from a bladder infection, they can have fever, vomiting, diarrhea, fussiness, loss of appetite, etc.

Children who are more than two years of age can have problems like pain or burning during urination, cloudy, bloody, dark urine with foul smell, frequent urge to urinate, pain in the lower abdomen and fever.

Causes of Bladder Infection in Children

 The prime cause of Urinary Tract Infection is bacteria, and E-coli is the primary bacteria responsible for bladder infection. This bacterium is present in abundance in the stools and it travels from there to the urinary system to cause UTI.  A child’s body can often not fight the infection, which creates critical health conditions that may put your children at risk.

Preventive Measures of Bladder Infection

Doctors often suggest parents take necessary preventive measures at home so that they can prevent bladder infection affecting their children.

• Parents need to check that kids always drink enough water to stay hydrated. Frequent urination helps to flush out the bacteria.
• Proper hygiene of the private parts is another way to keep your kids free from a bladder infection. Avoid using diapers. Use clean cotton underwear which must be changed as frequently as they get soiled.
• Parents need to check whether their kids have constipation or not. It is common for kids to have constipation and a loaded rectum compresses the urethra making it difficult for children to pass urine which leads to stagnation and infection. If your kids suffer from constipation, you need to take corrective measures to relive the condition. Your doctor will help you with that.

Often if your kids are infants with high grade fever and no other symptoms, you need to get them examined so as to rule out and treat Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). Many a times children have structural problems in the urinary tract which can cause repeated UTI. A pediatric surgeon can help you with this.