Urinary Tract Infections: How to Prevent it in Children

• admin
• November 11, 2024

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a very common type of infection that is mainly caused by bacteria in children, especially in female children. They can be very painful and uncomfortable for the child and make your child fussy or irritable, and they can lead to serious complications and health issues in the future if left untreated.

This blog will provide you with some tips and suggestions on how to prevent Urinary Tract Infections from occurring in your child.

What are the reasons for Urinary Tract Infections?

Before knowing about the ways to prevent UTIs in your child, it is very important to understand the reasons that may lead to UTIs in the first place. There are a number of contributing factors, some of which are listed below:

• Avoid Using School Washrooms. Many children do not use the washroom in schools which leads to a lot of urine being stored in their bladder for an elongated time period which can cause UTIs.
• Faecal Bacteria Build Up. Children often do not clean properly after passing stool so the bacteria from their faeces can build up around their genital area causing UTIs.
• Not Circumcised. Male children who are not circumcised at birth have higher chances of having UTIs.
• Constipation. Children with constipation often have higher chances of having UTIs.
• Tight Clothing. If children wear tight undergarments or diapers,it can be a cause for UTIs.
• Toilet Training. During toilet training,g many parents make children hold their urine for longer periods of time which can lead to UTIs.

How to prevent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)?

There are a number of things you can do to help prevent cases of UTIs occurring in your child, including:

• Make sure your child drinks plenty of fluids. This will help to flush bacteria out of the urinary tract.
• Encourage your child to urinate frequently. During toilet training, teach your child to urinate frequently (every 2 hours for example) this will help to prevent bacteria from building up in the bladder.
• Teach your child to wipe from front to back after using the toilet. This will help to prevent bacteria from spreading from the rectum to the urethra.
• Keep your child’s genital area clean. Wash your child’s genital area with warm water and mild soap every day.
• Dress your child in loose-fitting clothing. Tight clothing, undergarments, or diapers can trap bacteria and increase the risk of infection.
• Change diapers frequently. Keeping on a soiled diaper for long periods can also cause UTIs.

If your child has a history of UTIs, there are high chances of it recurring or happening again, especially for female children. You may want to consider the following:

• Give your child cranberry juice or cranberry supplements. Cranberries contain compounds that can help clear out bacteria from your child’s urinary tract.
• Keeping the genital area clean. It is necessary to teach them to keep their genital area clean, especially girls during and after their periods.

If you notice any of the signs and symptoms of a UTI in your child, such as fever, frequent urination, painful urination, or cloudy or bloody urine, it is important to see a doctor right away. UTIs are usually easy to treat with antibiotics, but early diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent serious complications.

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