Urinary Tract Infection

Urinary Tract Infection

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. The kidneys filter waste from blood to produce urine. Urine travels from the kidneys down the ureters and into the bladder. Urine is stored in the bladder until urination occurs. The tube that urine passes through during urination is called the urethra.

A urinary tract infection is an inflammation of the bladder or the bladder and kidneys. It usually is caused by bacteria from the skin outside the urethra, moving up the urethra and into the bladder. If the bacteria stay in the bladder, the infection is called cystitis. If the bacteria are in the kidneys, it is called pyelonephritis. These infections are not contagious.

The signs and symptoms of urinary tract infections in children depend on the child's age, and may include any or all of the following:

Infants

• Fever
• Irritability
• Inconsolable
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Failure to gain weight

Since these are generalized symptoms in most infants, the diagnosis of urinary tract infection may be overlooked.

Older Children

• Burning or pain with urination
• Frequent or urgent urination
• Fever
• Lower abdominal pain
• New wetting episodes or more frequent occurrences
• Side or back pain
• Blood in urine

As children reach toddler age, more classic symptoms appear, such as painful urination, urinary frequency and urgency. It becomes easier to recognize urinary tract infections as your child becomes verbal and is toilet-trained.

Sometimes the symptoms result from or can be aggravated by other causes of urethral irritation, such as bubble baths, poor hygiene or constipation.

Regardless of age, bladder infection isn't usually associated with fever, and generally doesn't produce any long-term damage to the bladder or kidneys.

However, kidney infection usually is associated with a high fever and may produce permanent damage or scarring of the kidney even after only one infection. This is particularly true in very young children.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated May 8, 2007