Two Year Old with a UTI

My daughter had this & it wasn't as bad as we expected. They actually used an infant feeding tube b/c it was the smallest in size that they could use as a catheter. As far as having people hold her down, my husband & i just stood at opposite sides of her & she was fine - Good luck!

I would try the clean catch again. I am 38 and catheters traumatize me. I would try everything else instead.

Have her drink cranapple juice too..watered down a bit.

Nanc

A few weeks ago my 2 yr old daughter had an unexplained high fever that lead to a febrile seizure. In the ER they did a catheter to check for a UTI. There were 2 nurses and me by her head talking to her. It took about 2 minutes and she did cry but I think she was more scared than uncomfortable. She hasn't shown any signs that she even remembers it. Good Luck

S.,
My one yr old just went through this. I was at the Urologist(sp?) all day yesterday. My daughter had two catheters done - once for the diagnosis and again for a procedure called a VCUG (where they test for Reflux). The catheters weren't comfortable, but it was just me and the doc each time and it was VERY quick - especially the first time - I would go ahead and get it done without worry.
If they want to continue to test for reflux - that test is a little more invasive. Ask for a sonogram first - much easier and it will tell you if you really need to put her through the VCUG (Which also wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, so if you have to get her tested for it, you don't have to worry too much).
My ped told me that my daughter could have had other UTIs that were milder and therefore went unoticed, so there is a chance that Reflux could go undetected until a two yr old can start talking about the discomfort.
Good luck and hope your little angel feels better soon!

Urinary Reflux many times does not show up until kids begin to potty train and tend to hold back their pee. If they suspect she does have Reflux you should get a VCUG as someone else suggested, but you CAN have her sedated or put to sleep for it!! My daughter was diagnosed with UR at 8 weeks old and has annual testing, and we have her put to sleep as I can't imagine her having it done awake!! Many kids grow out of Reflux at about 5 or 6 years old as their body grows, but if they do not, you need to know because it can cause long term kidney damage. Also, statistics say about 30-40% of siblings may also have it, so if you have other kids (or do in the future), ay UTI's or unexplained high fevers should be checked.
And yes, sadly, the best way to get a for sure clean urine test is by cathing :(
Best of luck,
K.

our daughter was straight-cathed in the er when she was just over a year old. she had a fever of 105(which turned out to be roseola), but they had to r/o a uti. in a child that young, they would have had to admit her for iv abx. it did take 2 of us to hold her down at the time, although they had also attempted to start an iv 3 times. i think a clean catch is just difficult(as is anything) with a child that age. maybe you could ask about giving her something sedating like benadryl beforehand. i agree it would be an agonizing experience, more for you than your daughter. she may be screaming at the time, but won't remember it for life. as far as reflux, i think you can develop it at any age.

Hi S.,
Since a clean catch is less invasive than catheterization, the doctor should want to try the less invasive method first (I would be suspect of a doctor who wants to jump right to something invasive and potentially traumatic).
Did your doctor tell you it would take 4 adults to hold her down or is this a horror story that someone told you about their experience? I know that it is never pleasant to be catheterized, but remember that one person's experience may not be yours. If indeed you do go this route, I would request mild sedation for your toddler. Good luck!
As for reflux, are you referring to the digestive reflux, or to kidney reflux (I ask about the kidneys since you mentioned a UTI) - these are totally separate and don't necessarily have to present as newborns. Adults can be diagnosed with reflux disorders. But if the doctor is referring to kidney reflux related to the UTI, this is not in any way connected to the reflux that you hear about newborns having and projectile vomitting.

It might be uncomfortable for her, but she is still very young and will recover quickly. It's WAY more traumatizing for you and she'll go off your reaction and emotions. Stay calm for her and it'll be fine. My daughter had it done at around that age and was back to her normal self in less than a half hour.

S.,

In my opinion. catheterizing a 2 year old to check on a run of the mill Urinary Tract Infection is a bit extreme....and I agree that it would be very traumatizing for her, unless they were to do it in the hospital with general anesthesia.

Another clean catch urine specimen, once she has finished her course of antibiotics, should tell them whether or not the infection is gone. If you were not able to collect a clean catch specimen from her the first time, the remedy for that is quite obvious... have the office nurse, or the doctor do it herself!

Although it pains me to say this, many doctors are more concerned with how many procedures they can bill you for, than they are with the welfare of the child, which may or may not be the case here. If the doctor is, indeed, suggesting this in order to charge you a greater amount of money for her treatment, then she is doing it at the expense of your child, which, in my opinion, is inexcusable. If she is not, then she should have no objection to having this test done in the hospital, where your child can be sedated.

I am, in no way, telling you what to do, but if she were my child, this procedure would be done while she was under sedation, and would have no memory of it, or it would not be done at all!

Also, just for your own information, if you are using any sort of bubble bath in the water when you bathe her, this is a leading cause of Urinary Tract Infections in small children, especially little girls, or if you are putting her in a pool of any sort, this could also be the source of the bacteria that may have caused the initial infection. If she spends time playing in a pool of any sort, then be sure to wash her private parts well with soap and water, and dry her well, before you dress her!

As far as reflux disease is concerned, I have no knowledge or experience with that, so perhaps that may be why they think that a catheterization is necessary, but, if so, the procedure could still be done in a hospital, under sedation, to make it easier on your child, and on you!

S.,

I have experience with this. WHen my oldest was 2 she had a UTI. and you know what..they can collect a clean sample WITHOUT the cath! There is absolutely noo reason for that Pediatrician to use a cath! There are other ways to get a sample. THey have those things that sit in the toilet that your daughter can pee into.

By the sounds of it, if I were you I would be looking into a new Peds. It sounds to me like this one doesn't hasn't a clue about a child! It also sounds to me like the Pediatrician doesn't treat you with the respect you deserve as the childs mother.

This happen to my 14month old (who is now almost 7). I thought, never having one myself, that a UTI was just a little bladder infection so when my daughter was sick, I was quite relaxed about it. But my Peds said "this is very serious kidney infection". It may have been traumatizing to have the prodcure done but I would do it all over again because the urine sample will help them determine the servitiy of the the infection so this is very important that you get that clean catch.
In the Peds office the Dr & nurses do this all the time & should be very ____@____.com daughter was uncomfortable but 4 people didnt have to hold her down. It was the 2 nurses & myself & only took a few minutes.

Hi S.,

My daughter needed a urine sample collected when she was less than a year old and they did that plastic bag inserted into her diaper and secured to her body with tape method. It was time consuming waiting for her to pee but it worked. We then did it again after the antibiotic treatment and found that the UTI seemed to be gone. It wasn't until later a year later when she switched pediatricians that the new pediatrician suggested she go for a V.C.U.G. and renal ultrasound to rule out kidney reflux. (i think this is supposed to be standard procedure after a babe is diagnosed with a u.t.i. but our old pediatrician didn't think it was necessary because my daughter did not present with a fever). Anyway, the v.c.u.g. was a horrible experience on both my daughter and myself. (they only allowed one parent in the room). They had her lay down on a table and placed sandbags all around her outline and then restrained her down with straps! Then, they inserted a cathedar(sp.?) into her vagina and inserted colored liquid into her bladder. They put the xray machine over her and waited for her to pee out the liquid and then took pictures of it as it came out to trace the flow. I almost took her out of there 3 times!! It was really hard to watch. The tech explained to me if I took her out now, before it was done, the suffering she (we!) had went through would be for nothing and we would not know if her kidney's were in danger of permanent damage. She said I needed to be strong for my daughter. So, we stuck it out. They attempt to make the process less traumatic by putting stickers on the xray machine and hanging all kinds of kid decorations around the room and when it was over she got a little "prize". Big wup. : ) She fell asleep in the car immediately afterward and then she was back to her usual self when she woke up. It was confirmed by the v.c.u.g. that she did have kidney reflux, or urinary reflux i think they also call it,and she took a low dose of antibiotics for over a year until the urinologist did a 2nd renal ultrasound (these are not anywhere near as traumatic as the v.c.u.g.!) and found the reflux to be gone. She liked taking the medicine because it tasted good. I guess sometimes their little bodies are not developed fully and as they grow bigger their bodies can develop the rest of the way and that sometimes takes care of the problem.

Feel free to email me if you have any other questions I can help with! Good luck!

-D. G

Give her diluted cranberry (with water) makes sure she wipes front to back. Clean panties, sometimes little ones drip alittle.
If catherization is necessary ask for her to be sedated.
Lots of water is really important to keep her bladder flushed. Try foods that are naturally bladder friendly I believe mushrooms is one asparagus is a good one, love the stuff, but makes sure smell funny.

Good Luck!

My son once had a high fever and they needed to rule out UTI. He was young at the time - hardly walking, so they tried to catheterize him. He wasnt a happy camper and neither was I - and in the end of it all bcause he had recently gone to the bathroom, they couldnt collect a sample. So they wanted to wait 2-3 hours and do it again. I said NO WAY.

The doctor came up with a creative solution for a clean catch you might be able to use. They have a medical supply which is basically a sterile plastic bag with sticky tape like edges. All we had to do was clean him - stick on the bag - and wait for him to go. After the fact, I couldnt believe they put him through a cathetar when they didnt need to! And in the end of it all - no UTI!

I wish you luck. Don't worry too much. It is always unpleasant when your little one is not feeling well, but the other posters are right - soon it will be a distant memory for both of you :)

Hi S.,
I am so sorry your daughter had to go through this. My daughter was 6 months old when she had an UTI. They tried using an adhesive bag to collect a urine sample, but in the end they did have to Cath. It was horrible for me, she recovered much quicker then I did. It did take a Doctor, 2 nurses and myself to hold her. I cried the whole time and much harder and longer then she did.
Because of her young age and a family history of extensive UT issues we ended up going to a pediatric urologist who ordered a VCUG. For this they would not even let me in the room, the said Dads tended to do better than moms and so only dads were allowed. Again it was tough, but she handled it better than us.
We were very blessed, my daughter showed no signs of reflux and her early UTI seems to have been an anomaly. She is now 2 and has not had another, but we are very careful to make sure she drinks plenty of water ( with a little cranbery juice if we are concerned for any reason), eats plenty of plain yogurt and takes no baths with soap or bubbles ( she showers when we use shampoo ect).
The Cath and VCUG is a very hard thing to go through, but they a worth knowing your daughter is healthy. If there is reflux into her kidneys, it needs to be treated right away. My niece was 4 when she had her VCUG, and she doesn't remember, so I don't think you will traumatize her.
Best of luck and i will keep your little girl in my prayers.

Hi my daughter is 3 1/2 and has had 3 utis and had the cathider done 2 times now it is more painfully for us the parents i had it done in manhasset the man was wonderful and did it really quick. My daughter has a kidney reflux and has been on medication for 6 months now she has to stay on it for 1 yr.They said it can go away if the reflux is low my daughters is pretty low, but other children with a bad reflux have to have surgery to replace the valves down there. I seems very tramaful for them and us. My daughter was terrified for weeks after having it done. So i dont think they would of detected it earlier they dont check for that until they have a uti or 2. make sure the person doing the procedure knowledgeable about it and is good with children our guy is very highly recommended and spent time with her before doing it and was great and did it very fast.
What state do you live in? if your in ny i can find my guys name for you most pediatricians send you to the hospital to have it done so they can do x-rays right after the catheter is put in with dye. Good luck with every thing. If you need more info on anything about this pleaee email me personally at ____@____.com

You can try for a clean catch, but at that age itg is
difficult. If you cannot, then you should do what your
doc wants as hard as it will be for you and your child.
What you do not want is kidney problems down the road.
Good luck.

Hi S.,
Have you thought about what may have caused the uti? My 2nd daughter was about 11 years old when she had her first, and we were told that it may have been caused by bubble bath!! Imagine that!
We didn't know to believe our doctor or not, and she didn't want to give up the bubble baths, so she kept them up, and got another one!
We cut down on the bubbles, only about 1 a week, and short ones, and she never got another one.

We just went through this with my 2 year old last month. We explained to her that they needed her to lay down and she had to hold my hand so the doctor could check her. The whole process took less than 45 seconds, she cried, but all she remembered 5 minutes later was that "it cold" and the lollipop that was waiting for her for being such a good girl. I think it was more traumatizing for me, but I definitely felt better knowing she was alright.

Good luck!