Parent & Patient Information System 06/09/2015 Page3 / 51 Chapter 1 - Urinary Tract Infection - a common problem in children Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in kids. By 5 years old, about 8% of girls and about 1-2% of boys have had at least one. In older kids, UTIs may cause obvious symptoms such as burning or pain with urination. In infants and young children, UTIs may be harder to detect because symptoms are less specific. In fact, fever is sometimes the only sign. Most UTIs are caused when bacteria infect the urinary tract. An infection can occur anywhere along this tract, but the lower part — the urethra and bladder — is most commonly involved. This is called cystitis. If the infection travels up the ureters to the kidneys, it's called pyelonephritis and it's generally more serious. Although bacteria aren't normally found in the urine, they can easily enter the urinary tract from the skin around the anus (the intestinal bacteria E. coli is the most frequent cause of UTIs). Many other bacteria, and some viruses, can also cause infection. Rarely, bacteria can reach the bladder or kidneys through the blood. Bacterial UTIs are not contagious. UTIs occur much more frequently in girls, particularly those around the age of toilet teaching, because a girl's urethra is shorter and closer to the anus. Uncircumcised boys younger than 1 year also have a slightly higher risk of developing a UTI. Other risk factors for developing a UTI may include an abnormality in the structure or function of the urinary tract, an abnormal backward flow (reflux) of urine from the bladder up the ureters and toward the kidneys. This condition, known as vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), is present in about 30% to 50% of children with a UTI. Furthermore poor toilet and hygiene habits, the use of bubble baths or soaps that irritate the urethra, and family history of UTIs are additional risk factors. UTIs are highly treatable, but it's important to catch them early. Undiagnosed or untreated UTIs can lead to kidney damage. Signs and symptoms of UTIs vary depending on the child's age and on which part of the urinary tract is infected. In younger children and infants, the symptoms may be very general. The
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