• It is the infection of the urinary system- it consists of following-
• • Kidneys (upper urinary system)
  • Bladder (the lower urinary system)
  • Tube connecting the kidney to bladder(ureter)
  • Tube to discharge urine from balder to out (urethra)

• This is a sterile system (it is protected from infections). Any infection should be evaluated to find the reason for infection.
• When the upper urinary system gets an infection , the symptoms are worse (more fever, clinically more unwell).
• The more often the kidneys get infected, the more the chance of permanent damage to kidneys.
  If the defects in the urinary system tend to cause repeated infection, the child is put on a daily dose of antibiotics.

The below conditions need further evaluation with scans

• Babies < 6 months of age with urine infection
• Repeated urine infections
• Birth defects (cyst in kidney, abnormality in the tube )

Urine infections are commoner in girls cos the urinary opening is close to the anal opening.
The risk of using public toilets, wiping with tissue in the wrong direction (from back to front) worsens the situation

SIGNS OF URINE INFECTION

Babies

• Fever/ Lethargy (lazy behaviour)
• Failure to gain weight
• Longer jaundice, vomiting
• Excessive crying

Remember -it is normal for new-born to cry just prior to passing urine or stool.

Older children

• Fever/ Tired
• Crying while passing urine
• Frequent urination/ bed wetting
• Constipation
• Abnormal colour or smell of urine

SEE YOUR DOCTOR IF

• Any of above symptoms
• Repeated infections >3 / year. Ask for further investigations.

• Blood- to see if blood is also infected (Especially in babies < 1year).The infection can easily spread to the blood.
• Urine- to find about infection and type of organism (by growing the bug)
• Scans- to see if any damage (ultrasound) or birth defects and other scans (DMSA/ MCU- to see functioning of system)