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Urinary Tract Infections in Babies

Urinary tract infections are an inflammation of the urinary system, which includes the urethra, the bladder and the kidneys. They are sometimes referred to as bladder infections or urinary infections. These infections are very common, especially in babies. Although your baby will experience some painful symptoms, your baby's UTI can be cured easily. If left untreated, it can develop into conditions that are more serious.

  1. Babies and UTIs

    • Like pregnant women and the elderly, babies are especially susceptible to urinary tract infection. Babies are incontinent and spend extended amounts of time sitting in their own feces. This exposes their urinary systems to the bacteria that is present in feces, like E. coli, and increases their risk of urinary tract infections. Also, babies' immune systems are still developing and can be too weak to fight off infection the way an adult can.

    Causes

    • When bacteria that are normally found on the skin or in the intestinal tract are spread into the urinary system, the result is often a urinary tract infection. The bacteria enter through the urethra, the tube that excretes urine from the bladder. There are any number of ways that your baby's urethra can be exposed to bacteria. As mentioned above, diapers keep feces close to the urethra and any time spend in a dirty one increase the risk of infection. If you wipe your baby from back to front when cleaning up after a diaper, this can also spread bacteria into his urethra.

    Symptoms

    • Most of the symptoms associated with a urinary tract infection cannot be observed in babies because they cannot speak and complain of them. Therefore, you have to be observant to catch the UTI symptoms in your baby. General irritability or lethargy can be a sign. If your baby refuses to eat or cry incessantly, he may be trying to tell you he is in pain. If you are suddenly changing more diapers than usual because he is urinating more than usual, that is another sign. When you change the diapers, if his urine is dark, cloudy or smelly, it may be a symptom, too. Bloody urine in the diaper is a major sign of urinary system distress, including a UTI.

    Treatment

    • When you bring these symptoms to your baby's heath care provider, he will do a urine analysis to determine if your baby has a UTI. Most of the time, he will place a catheter in your baby's urethra to draw urine from the bladder. If your baby does have a urinary tract infection, most doctors prescribe a course of liquid antibiotics to kill the bacteria. If the urinary tract infection is a particularly serious or has traveled to the kidneys, he may hospitalize your baby for observation and prescribe intravenous antibiotics to prevent kidney damage.

    Prevention

    • Preventing urinary tract infections in your baby starts with good hygiene. Change your baby's diaper frequently and be sure to clean his genitals each time. Always wipe front to back after bowel movements to avoid spreading bacteria to his urethra. Wash his genitals often and with mild soap and warm water. Soaps or bubble baths with dyes or fragrances added to them can increase your baby's risk of UTIs by irritating the urethra, so avoid them altogether.

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