Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infection may be defined as bacterial infection occurring anywhere within the urinary tract - from the urethra (the tube from the bladder to the outside) to the kidneys. It is common in childhood and adolescence. It occurs much more frequently in females than in males. This is because the urethra is much shorter in the female (no more than a couple of centimetres in the adult) than in the male (where the adult length is roundabout 20 centimetres). This means that in females bacteria can easily make their way up the urethra and into the bladder, causing urinary infection. In the very young it can cause fever, vomiting, poor feeding, drowsiness and febrile convulsions. In the older child there may be symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency and pain, possibly with loss of continence, together with abdominal pain.
Urinary tract infection in childhood needs investigation because a number are associated with underlying abnormalities. Recurrent infection can damage the kidneys, and it may be necessary to use prophylactic antibiotics to prevent further attacks in children with abnormal urinary tracts.
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