UTI in Preschoolers

My daughter woke her father up one evening and asked him to buy medicine because her tummy aches. We gave her an antispasmodic/anticholinergic medicine because it was what the pharmacist recommended and we thought it was just a disturbance of some sort in her tummy. We were wrong. She was still complaining about stomach pain the next day so we took her to the hospital. She was diagnosed with Urinary Tract Infection or UTI.

She underwent tests like urinalysis and CBC--which she hated. It was hard to see her cry but these tests has to be done. There is nothing more painful than to see your kids get hurt and you know that there is nothing you can do. No amount of explanation and bribery can lessen the pain. I wanted to stop the procedure but I know that it was essential so I did not.

Although most doctors do not believe that Urinary Tract Infections are caused by poor hygiene, I still talked to her yaya and asked her how she washes her after defecating. I was relieved knowing that her yaya knows how to wash the right way--wipe her bottom from front to back. My daughter also takes a bath twice a day. It would not do any harm making sure that she is always clean.


I am left with one possibility, she is delaying her trip to the comfort room. My daughter's classroom is located at the second floor and their comfort room is located downstairs. According to articles I have read, regular urination flushes away bacteria. Holding in urine allows bacteria to grow and it also means keeping the muscles tight for a long time making it hard to relax when it is time to urinate. This results to a bladder not to empty completely.

There are several symptoms of UTI. My daughter had fever, abdominal pain and lesser trip to the comfort room. Signs also include painful urination, decreased ability to control the bladder and vomiting. Talk to a doctor if you suspect that your child is suffering from UTI. Untreated urinary infections can lead to a serious kidney damage.