Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Children: Causes, Risks & Symptoms

A urinary tract infection is a bacteria infection that can affect the bladder, kidneys, ureters and urethra. About 3 million children in the United States develop urinary tract infections every year, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Risk Factors

• Children with an enlarged bladder, vesicoureteral reflux, high blood pressure, myelomeningocele, urinary tract irregularities, diabetes, constipation or abnormal growth patterns have an increased risk of developing a urinary tract infection, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic.

Symptoms

• A urinary tract infection often causes symptoms in children that include a fever, nausea, vomiting, a runny nose, pain in the abdomen or lower body, a frequent need to urinate, bedwetting or urinary incontinence, painful sensations during urination, bloody urine, flushed skin, pelvic pressure or diarrhea.

Kidney Infection

• Children with a urinary tract infection are at risk for developing a severe form of urinary tract infection called a kidney infection, which often starts in the bladder and spreads to the kidneys, or kidney damage, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Diagnosis

• During a urine test, a doctor collects a sample of a child's urine, which is sent to a laboratory to be examined for bacteria, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Treatment

• Children usually receive oral antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, doxycycline, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim or nitrofurantoin, for a urinary tract infection, according to the Mayo Clinic. Infants are often given intravenous injections of antibiotics, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.