What does the presence of bacteria in my baby’s urine show?
My 8-month-old nephew showed numerous bacteria in the urinalysis. What could be the cause and what to do about it? ~ edited
Bacteria are often found in the urine of young children, and this does not necessarily mean a urinary tract infection. Equally often, it is the result of improper collection of urine for testing – the microorganisms present in it do not actually come from the urinary tract, but from the skin around the external opening of the urethra. In the described case, the urine test should be repeated, supplementing it with urine culture. For this purpose, a special – sterile – urine container must be purchased at the pharmacy. I do not recommend bags for collecting urine – their use is almost a positive result of the test – bacteria present on the skin of the groin and fecal bacteria almost always get into them. Urine from the night should be collected for the test. Immediately before its collection, the area around the opening of the urethra should be thoroughly washed – in boys it is advisable to pull the foreskin back. We collect urine from the middle stream – only then we have a guarantee that it will not be contaminated with skin bacteria. Also, do not delay in taking the urine sample to the laboratory. Of course, all of the above recommendations are not easy for young children. However, with a little patience, the urine will be collected correctly, and the reward for this will be a reliable test result. If the result is positive despite following all of the above-mentioned rules, this indicates a urinary tract infection. The culture result will then contain information about the species of bacteria present in the urine and their sensitivity to specific antibiotics. Based on this, the pediatrician will select the appropriate treatment.
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