A 3 year old witha Urinary Tract Infection

Ashley - posted on 06/03/2011

my daughter had the ultrasound done on her kidneys.. now we are going next week for a vcug.. and I know Im scared for her to have it done..

Katherine - posted on 03/23/2010

Oh, another thing her ped said was that NOT wiping correctly or at all, will lead to a UTI. Keep that in mind too.

Sharon - posted on 03/23/2010

No that seems way overkill. Only if she has repeated infections would someone turn to that sort of conclusion.

Krystal - posted on 03/23/2010

actually cranberry juice does NOT always work i should know from experience, cranberry juice has citric acid it in which can cause and irritate the UTIs. only give small amounts like 3-4 oz once per day if anymore it will make it worse it did for me( my doctor also told me this). the best thing to get her to drink is water and lots of it. bubble bath can cause them and so can tight pants that dont breath and toilet habbits. citric acid is one of the worst things, its in stuff like pop, cranberry juice and any other juices, like orange, apple ect. oranges, apricots, tomatos, tomato ketchup ect. obviously you cant stop them from eating some of them but you can limit how much they have of it. my doctor told me to limit my intake of things that have citric acid in and it did help, medication isnt always the way to go unless there is no other way to treat it, i became imune to the medication because i was on so many that my immune system got so used to them that they stopped working.

Dianne - posted on 03/23/2010

my daughter went through the same thing when she was 4. The tests were traumatic, but it was worth it to know that it wasnt anything serious. The problem re occured off and on over the next few years. The cause is fairly common with young girls apparently, (tioletry habits) The best thing to prevent infections, other than strict cleanliness is to drink Cranberry juice...this really works

Marti - posted on 03/22/2010

Does your daughter take bubble baths? That is one thing I did not see mentioned here. It is known that bubble baths can cause UTI's, especially in children and females. Stop bubble baths if you use them at all, they are not good for anyone. Yes they can be fun, but not healthy for the urinary tract. Best of luck and hope your little one gets better soon!

Tess - posted on 03/22/2010

please ask for a second opinion. my son has the same the doctors only advise us to let him drink plenty of water and avoid junk foods, tetra pack juices, and salty sauce. he was also given Cotrimoxazole to be taken 3x a day. Thats all.

Katherine - posted on 03/22/2010

Wow. All of that seems a little excessive. My daughter is 4 1/2 and has had UTI"s and unless they are having an exorbitant amount, I wouldn't go through all of that.

That is ridiculous IMO.

Melissa - posted on 03/22/2010

I was diagnosed with my urinary tract infection when i as two years old; and I would keep getting urinary tract infections throughout my childhood. I do not recall if they did those tests when I was first diagnosed; but I know that I eventually did have those tests after I had a severe infection that put me in the hospital for a week. I eventually grew out of them; but now I have to worry about my daughters getting them like I did. I got my kidney problems from my mother. If you think its two much for your three year old daughter then ask for a second opinion. After you talk with another doctor make your decision.

Sharon - posted on 03/22/2010

Yes, my daughter went through all of this starting at 2 1/2 years old. And yes, this is necessary. My daughter did have urinary reflux and we had to be very careful as kidney infections can damage their kidneys for life! My daughter was lucky, after around three years of constant testing and antibiotics, her reflux resolved itself. But I also had to do a lot of things at home to try to help her condition. For example, I could only use dial soap when she bathed (and I believe she still does and she will be 24 this year), she could not have any tub baths, etc. Do the tests to be sure what you are dealing with. A co-worker's son lost the complete use of one kidney due to this problem not being diagnosed in time.

Stephanie - posted on 03/20/2010

Hi;
As
a Mother of 3 kids, and a Full time Nurse, The best treatment for anyone, of any age, including kids, is cranberry juice, and or yogurt. These methods are tried and proven to beat UTI in everyone. Hope this helps!
Stephanie

Ann - posted on 03/20/2010

my daughter used to get them at that age. they can be caused (in grown-ups too) from taking an antibiotic... In my daughter's case, her pediatrician had me start giving her showers instead of baths. and she didn't get them any more after that...

Leslie - posted on 03/20/2010

Yes, you must get these tests done. My daughter went through the exact same thing when she was 2. If you don't get the tests done and she does have a sever case of urinary reflux, she may have kidney problems later in life and possibly would have to go on dyalisis. The CVUG (dye test) is horrible and heart wrentching. 3-4 nurses will hold your daughter down to catherize her, they then inject the dye and take x-ray pictures to see where the dye goes in her body. If it is being pushed back up into her kidneys she has relfux. The severity is determined on a scale 1-5 for each kidney. 4 & 5 are the worst and means corrective surgery (which was the case for my daughter) . 1-3 the child may grown out of it, but she may still have constant UTIs and constant check-ups to keep an eye on it. After the nurses get their pictures, everyone has to wait until your daughter flushes the dye out of her system, which that alone could take awhile (btw- this entire time your daughter is kicking and screaming for mommy and there's nothing you can do, because you know it's the best thing for your daughter). For us, from diagnosis of the UTI to surgery was 2 months, and then another year of antibotic pills every day for a year. If after the 1 year check up everything is ok, you're all done, and the scar from surgery is virtually invisible after another year! It is a horrible experience, but it will help your daughter feel better and stay healthy. Good luck!

Kate CP - posted on 03/20/2010

Depends on if she's had more than one in a short amount of time. Sometimes kids just get UTIs; but if she's been having infection after infection then yes, get the tests done.

Elizabeth - posted on 03/20/2010

I also agree that people should listen to their Dr., why else have one. But one thing I have noticed is that none of you were ever told by your dr. that little girls get urinary tract infections eaisly by wearing colored panties and taking bubble baths, advice from my dr. when my daughter had a problem. Of course be certain their is not a real problem.,

Lisa - posted on 03/20/2010

Okay - First, I want to point out to a lot of the "recurrent UTI" people that you might not be having UTI's. A year ago I was diagnosed with a disease called interstitial cystitis, which is chronic inflammation of the bladder. A protein my body makes actually destroys the bladder lining, allowing the urine to get to nerves, causing symptoms to the worst UTI in your life.

I had greater than 2x normal frequency in high school and was never taken to a doctor or diagnosed. I ended up believing my symptoms were NORMAL because they went on so long and progressed so slowly. By the time I was diagnosed, the disease was already in its latest stages, with the bladder shrinking and scarred and covered in ulcers.

It is likely the pediatrician believes (and is right) that such infections are RARE in younger children, and wants to be "sure" everything is okay. You can wait to run the tests if you want, but please keep monitoring your child's health.

Betty - posted on 03/20/2010

by the time my litttle girl was 4,she had hd 4 uti's my dr said it was a little girl thing
just not cleaning herself good enough.I asked to see a urilogist and they started with a ultra sound, they couldnt find the left kidney. then went to a flat xray which did show that it was there. It was located 3 inches lower than the right one and slightly malrotated.
they called this a pilvic kidney. the next step was to see if it was working, and last at what percentage it was functioning.they should be50/50 hers were 32/68 the right was helping carry the left. after antibotics for 18 months streight it has been perfect for15 years.that was with no pop and alot of cranberry juice, which she still drinks daily.
Now she is of the age of sexual active and she has had 3 uti's in 3 months so we have an appointment next weeek with the urioligist. they will probably recomend a function test again to make sure it is still function at the same capacity.

Dawn - posted on 03/20/2010

Mandeline, what the doctor is requesting is completely appropriate. When a toddler continues to have urinary tract infections and hygiene is not the cause, the ureters (or tubes leading from the kidneys to the bladder) need to be checked. They are supposed to be straight and if there is a crook or kink in them near the bladder, stagnant bacterial growing urine refluxes from the kidney into this tube. Urine is sterile until it hits the bladder. If the urine in the bladder shoots back up into the area it just left, it sets your child up for serious infections. These infections can travel up to the kidney where even more serious kidney infections or pyelonephritis can occur. This can make your daughter very sick and actually damage her heart and kidneys. Proceed with the test. If it is positive, your doctor may elect to keep her on a low dose of antibiotics to see if with her growth in height the kink may straighten. Or if this does not occur or the kink is too much, there is a surgical procedure to correct this issue. I did not have a daughter with this, but I am a former operating room nurse and this was an operation we performed many times. I helped a great friend of mine to diagnose her little girl with this who had to have the surgery and is doing great. Rest assured that surgery is the last measure, but an important one because you don't want permanent damage to her kidneys or heart. Also, this is more frequent in girls than boys and usually tests are done beginning at the age of 3 because the kids are usually out of diapers. Also you need to realize that even though "things are clear now", if she has reflux, there will be a reoccurrence until that kink either straightens out with personal growth or by some other intervention.

Aubrey - posted on 03/20/2010

My son just went through something similar. He had to get an MRI (which he couldnt eat for 8 hours before the procedure and had to be sudates). He also had to get a LOT of blood work taken. We were not interested in the testing, but once we talked to our pediatrician she convinced us into getting the testing so we could rule some things out! I think it will make you feel better to get it done.
We got the results and everything was normal...but it's better to know than to wonder...

Linda - posted on 03/20/2010

It should depend how often a child has Urinary Track Infections what test needs to be ran, if everything came out good after medications I would ask the doctor to wait and see if the infection came back or not. then if it does come back "allow test" most kids love bubble baths "That a lone could be a problem with urinary Tract"

Katrina - posted on 03/20/2010

Hi there darl. They waited till it was almost too late to do any such tests on our willow. She had kidney reflux on both sides!!! Poor thing. But she had been in pain. The ultra sound is fun. Not invasive at all but the other can be scary for the parent and child because of the needle thing!. If you decide to go ahead with the dye procedure make sure you get it done at hospital with the numbing gel! I took Willow to the hospital to play in there play room before the day of the procedure so that it was a familiar place. This was very settling for her! It was hard to watch her panic before the needle went in but she never felt it, it was just the unknown! They had bubbles, books etc. Kidneys are hard to get so protect at all costs. In saying that if everything has come back normal.. get a second opinion! We employed the services of a specialist at a cost. But for us it was worth it. One kidney is only slightly smaller and NO Scaring yahoo!

Mary - posted on 03/19/2010

Is this the first time? I would wait to see if it becomes a chronic problem, but if this is the first, I would think it is overkill.

Rachel - posted on 03/19/2010

Well, when I was 2, I actually had to have surgery to have my urethra opened up. UTIs are fairly common among women, and they can close up and cause serious problems in infants and toddlers. It happened to me, and it took me *years* to learn how to get rid of UTIs. Your Pediatrician seems to have some concern about your daughter's renal function. Can you get a urologist or nephrologist specialist consultation? Perhaps they can do a less invasive exam, or explain in better detail why such a test is necessary.
I will warn you that I went through multiple UTIs every year until I was in my late teens, and it was *miserable*. If I could have had an ultrasound with contrast (that's the dye) to see if I could have cut those chronic UTIs down as a child, I would have drunk the whole tankard of dye. I've also gotten kidney infections, and I'll tell you now, that UTIs are a cakewalk compared to a kidney infection. Good luck!

Krystal - posted on 03/19/2010

hi me again, amber you were very lucky that you only got one once a year. i had them repeatedly one after the other, i would have one for 4 days and just as i started getting over it then another would appear. it got so bad that at 1 point i had to have 4 weeks off school because of them. if left untreated these things can get very very very bad and painful and can cause lots of damage, ecspecially when you have what i have a small bladder and have scaring one one kidney and 45% of the other kidney doesnt work. i was not emotionally or mentally scared, i remember almost all of the medical tests, medications, scans ect that i had to have and im glad i had them, i know exactly what to do when i have one, what foods and drink to avoid, and i would just like to say that even though cranberry juice is good for them it can also make it worse as it has citric acid in them, i would most rely on good ol plain water and drink lots of it as it helps flush out the infection. i also had a problem with wetting the bed, from the age of 3-16 mostly to do with the infections, and the small bladder problem, some was stress and some was mind over matter anyway, what im trying to say is even thought the tests sound a bit overboard its necerssary to take them because they can catch something in time and help clear it up and treat it, and if left untreated can cause serious pain, and serious damage, it can also be genetic like i said before. so these tests are very important and they are really not that bad or painful.like i said before its better to be safe than sorry. :)

Ramy - posted on 03/19/2010

I have gotten UTI's before and have treated them at home. I take a cranberry supplement every day to keep from getting them again. Yogurt and cranberries (unsweetened) in any form will keep them from popping up so frequently. As for the Dr's visit, they don't pay thousands of dollars for medical school for nothing. If you're in a postition to take your baby to the Dr, then do it. Insuance will pay for it so you should do it to take care of the little one. The tests are pretty non-invasive and chances are, at this young age, it won't have an adverse emotional effect on her.

Virginia - posted on 03/19/2010

Yes you should definitely do the tests if she has recurring UTI's. There could be a blockage in the tubes that lead from the kidneys to the bladder which cause infections. If there is a blockage her kidneys could be affected which will lead to future major medical problems. When my husband was 11 he woke up in severe pain and when he was checked out it was discovered that he had a blockage in the tube which lead one of his kidneys to inflate twice the size of the other one. He had major surgery to repair the tube and clear up the infection. This could have been even worse if he had continued to ignore the problem. A friend of mine her daughter is 4 and has had 3 UTI in as many months. She did the test that you are describing and they found a small blockage and they are going to put her on special antibiotics to help clear the infection and undo the blockage without surgery because it was caught in time. I know the test sounds like a lot but imagine how much more invasive the surgery will be if your not sure if there is a blockage. Better safe than sorry.

Amber - posted on 03/19/2010

In my opinion I think that is a little overboard.. when I was younger I got them prob like once a year or so, and never had anything liike this done? but its always good to be on the safe side?

Iridescent - posted on 03/19/2010

I'd do it. At 3 years old the cause could simply be wiping incorrectly, but the test is really not invasive (likely involves a catheter for a few minutes at most). I have kidney damage that is permanent thanks to not having these tests young enough. Every bladder infection can kill me as it goes from my bladder through my kidneys and directly into my blood as my kidneys cannot filter correctly at all. My kidney function is poor. I've had total kidney failure from it, and had multiple surgeries, and been in critical condition with it for way too long sometimes. All because one test wasn't done young enough.

Krystal - posted on 03/17/2010

hi, my sons only 10 months old so not a problem yet but goin from experiance i had urinary tract infections from 3 years old and im 19 years and still 3 or 4 a month, i had the dye put in me to its not really that bad, i dont remember all of what happened but i remember them putting the needle in my arm and injected the dye in me then they turned the light off and im guessing they did an xray or something i couldnt tell because i was laying down and told not to move and i had to look at the picture on the celin. it might have changed but thats what they did with me anyway. i had a small bladder and i have scaring on my left kidney and 45% of my right kidney doesnt work. it would be in the best interest of your daughter to have it done. if they catch something while shes still young it could save her from going through alot of hasle and pain later in life, i was 6 when i had mine done, i also had a tube up my private parts and they filled my bladder up with water to see how much i could hold and to see how big it actually was, i had lots of scans done and everything. i was also put on alot of medication (had a new one almost every month as i was becoming amune to them). try not to give her things with citric acid in as it triggers off the infection and makes it worse. and get her to drink lots of water through out the day. but i would deffinately let her have these tests done, it can also be genetic, as my mother had lots of UTIs and so did my nan. its better to be safe than sorry. hope this helps. :)

Charmain - posted on 03/17/2010

I have frequent UTIs, and so does my 2 1/2 year old. I chose not to have her see a doctor in the past (Not the point, so don't bash me here), and have used home food remedies. If you trust your doctor(s), then you should let them do what they need to do to keep your child healthy. UTIs aren't fun, and they keep toddlers from wanting to pee. The cause of a UTI is nothing more than a malnutrition (but the malnutrition is something that could be caused by anything wrong in the body), and one sure-fire way to help with the symptoms is either by medications or by food supplements.

Please know that I am not a doctor or an herbalist. I just have gone through the doctor thing myself as a child, and what they told me to do was eat All-bran cereal with prune juice instead of milk to replenish the vitamins I was missing. Good luck to you... AND TRUST YOUR MOTHERLY INSTINCTS!!! You know what's best for your child, and when to listen to the doctors and when to get a second opinion.

C. - posted on 03/17/2010

My son hasn't had this problem.. BUT, as someone who gets UTIs quite frequently (no matter how much water and cranberry juice I drink), you will be doing your daughter a favor having that test done. If something is wrong with her kidneys and goes undetected, she could end up with kidney failure and need a transplant. The testing is a lot less risky than a transplant, so if I were in your situation, I would just do the tests. Good luck!