Urinary tract infectionin infancy and childhood

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is defined as the presence ofbacteria in urine along with symptoms of infection. (Steven andSwedlund, 1999).Urinary tract infections (UTIs), also referred to as bladderinfection, occur when bacteria enter the urethra and spread upwardto the bladder. In the first few months of life, urinary tractinfections I affect males and females equally. As children growolder, females become more prone to these infections because theirurethra is shorter, which makes it easier for bacteria to enter thetract. The infections themselves are not dangerous if treatedcorrectly with antibiotics. Left untreated UTIs can lead to ablocked ureter and serious bladder and kidney infections. Urinarytract infection is one of the most common infections in infancy andchildhood. It is the most common invasive bacterial infection inchildren, occurring in up to 10%. These infections are potentiallyserious with about 40% causing kidney damage (permanent damagein about 15%), 10 to 25% requiring inpatient treatment, and 10%causing bacteremia in young infants. One-third of children willhave associated renal tract conditions like vesicoureteric reflux andobstruction. Urinary tract infection in children presents uniqueproblems of urine collection, diagnosis and investigations thatoften make management difficult possible solutions to thesedifficulties. (Craig MB., 1997)