Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

What are the signs and symptoms of urinary tract infections?

The symptoms of a UTI vary depending on the age of the child and may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your child's provider for a diagnosis.

Symptoms in infants and young children include:

• Irritability
• Fever
• Abdominal pain/colic
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Foul-smelling urine
• Poor growth, weight loss or failure to gain weight
• Poor feeding

Symptoms in older children include:

• Frequent urination
• Urgency to urinate
• Painful urination
• Inability to void more than a small amount, even with feeling of urgency
• Foul-smelling urine
• Incontinence day or night
• Blood in the urine
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Fever
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Pain in the back, side or pubic bone

How do doctors at Children's Colorado make a diagnosis?

Diagnosis is based on a history of symptoms, a physical examination and a urine analysis and culture. During a urine analysis and culture, it is very important that the urine is collected correctly, and this will involve a catheter in children who are not potty trained.

Children with a confirmed diagnosis may require additional studies of the bladder and kidneys, including a renal ultrasound (RUS) and/or a voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG), which is an X-ray examination of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra.

How is a urinary tract infection treated?

Treatment of a urinary tract infection depends on the child's age, overall health, extent of the infection and medical history. Treatment may include antibiotics, increased fluid intake and pain relief methods, as well as behavioral modifications of bladder habits in potty trained children.

Why choose Children's Colorado for your child's recurrent urinary tract infections?

Infants with urinary tract infections require swift evaluation and management of the condition to help decrease the risk of future UTI recurrences. Children who have repeated urinary tract infections require management and motivation in voiding behaviors to decrease the long term risk.

Our team works to treat current acute issues, as well as potential long term issues, by closely managing and encouraging a bowel and bladder program. We can also work in combination with a clinical psychologist to help children with adhere to healthy bladder habits through motivational techniques, which can help decrease the risk of future UTIs. Occasionally, children with recurrent UTIs require surgery and Children's Colorado has a team of experienced urologists to help.