Urinary Tract Infections in Children

Most Reference urinary tract infections (UTIs) Opens New Window in children are caused by bacteria that enter the Reference urethra Opens New Window and travel up the Reference urinary tract Opens New Window Reference Opens New Window. Bacteria that normally live in the Reference large intestine Opens New Window and are present in stool (feces) are the most common cause of infection. Sometimes bacteria traveling through the blood or Reference lymphatic system Opens New Window to the Reference urinary tract Opens New Window are the cause of kidney or bladder infections.

The ways that bacteria buildup can occur include:

• Some children may not properly wipe their bottoms after a bowel movement. And bacteria may get into the urethra and cause a UTI.
• Constipation.
• Not completely emptying the bladder. This can cause bacteria to build up in urine.

Problems with the structure or function of the urinary tract commonly contribute to UTIs in infants and young children. Problems that limit the body's ability to eliminate urine completely include:

• A structural problem of the bladder that allows urine to flow backward to the kidneys (Reference vesicoureteral reflux).
• An obstruction, such as a Reference kidney stone Opens New Window Reference Opens New Window, that blocks, slows, or disrupts the normal flow of urine through the urinary tract (Reference obstructions in the urinary tract).
• Other abnormalities of the urinary tract.

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