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Urethra Problems in Children

While urethra problems are far more common in adults than in children, they still occur. Whether they are caused by disease or by a congenital condition, healthcare professionals can help.

  1. The Facts

    • Much longer in males then in females, the urethra is the tube that connects to the bladder and carries urine out of the body. In girls, the urethra is located just above the vagina. In boys, it runs through the penis. Children, both male and female, can experience a variety of urethra problems. These issues include diseases, infections and physical malformations.

    Lesions

    • Children of both genders can experience problems stemming from benign lesions on the urethra. Boys may develop urethral polyps which cause blood in the urine and problems with urination like weakened flow. Boys can also have meatal stenosis, or an extremely small urethral opening, which is usually found in circumcised children. Girls can also develop urethral polyps. Female children more rarely may experience a problem with urethral prolapse, a protrusion of tissue through the urethra's opening. All these conditions can be treated or managed with a doctor's care.

    Infections

    • Urinary tract infections are more common in adults, but between one and two percent of children also experience them. These children run a higher risk of the infection leading to kidney damage than is faced by adults or older children. In these infections, bacteria travels up the urethra and into the urinary tract and goes on to cause problems like pain, swelling and inflammation. Your doctor can treat this problem by prescribing antibiotics.

    Hypospadias

    • One urethral problem that occurs exclusively in male children is hypospadias. It is a fairly common, effecting one boy in every 150 to 300. Hypospadias causes the urethral opening to occur somewhere along the underside of the penis, rather than at the tip. This condition is usually apparent at birth. Doctors can correct it through surgery and often do so with children younger than one year of age.

    Cancer

    • Cancer of the urethra is relatively rare form of cancer that is an even rarer problem in children. It is more likely to affect girls rather than boys. Symptoms include blood in the urine, weak or erratic urine flow, and discharge from the urethra. Because urethral cancer can metastasize throughout the body quickly, finding it in its early stages is important for successful treatment.

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