Urinary Tract Infections in Children

When your child isn't feeling well, you'll want to know how to recognize the symptoms, how to help, and when to call the doctor - since every child gets sick from time to time. Find out what you need and don't need to know about all the common and not-so-common infections.

Urinay Tract Infections (UTI's) are so common in children that by 5 years old, about 8% of girls and about 1% to 2% of boys have had at least one UTI. Obvious symptoms such as burning or urination pains may be present in older children. UTI's may be harder to detect in infants and young children because symptoms its are less specific. In fact - fever is sometimes the only symptom.

Most UTI's are caused when bacteria infect the urinary tract.  The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra which each play a role in removing liquid waste from the body. The kidneys filter the blood and produce urine; the ureters carry the urine from the kidneys to the bladder; and the bladder stores the urine until it is eliminated from the body through the urethra.

Though an infection can occur anywhere along this tract, the most commonly infected area is the lower part - the urethra and bladder. Although bacteria aren't normally found in the urine, they can easily enter the urinary tract via the skin around the anus. It is rare that bacteria would reach the bladder or kidneys through the blood.

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