My 9 Month Old Has a Kidney Infection

Yes, I recently had the same experience with my 6 year old and also felt really bad. She ended up running the highest fever I'd ever seen. 106! But she has recovered fully and there is no use in continuing to feel bad. These things happen.

Don't feel bad. Babies can't tell you exactly what hurts and where, so how were you supposed to know? I am just wondering how she got the infection and if the doctor taught you how to prevent it's reoccurance.

I used to have bladder infections a lot when I was a kid (not a baby) and I had to stop having bubble baths and sleep without panties on. Staying hydrated is also very important. I would imagine for babies there may also be a specific way to wipe them when changing diapers to make sure no fecal matter gets into the vaginal opening. I always was very cautious with my girls since I had my experience as a kid. You probably already heard this from the doc, but I never know. Some docs are more interested in getting you out the door than taking the time to educate...

One last thing, after the antibiotics are over and the infection is gone, I would get some powdered probiotics to replenish the good bacteria she needs in her tummy.

Hope your sweetie feels better soon!

One thing we don't always hear from our doctors is that the primary cause of a bladder infection is fecal material in the vagina. My doctor said to teach girls that, after a bowel movement, to wipe from behind which minimizes the chances of even a microscopic spot of feces getting into the vagina.

When changing, be careful to avoid that. Changing wipes frequently may help.

Eating whole foods (rather than juice) that contain plenty of Vitamin C will likely help her now.

Never use bubble bath for little girls. Be sure that she is totally rinsed from soap when she finishes her bath.

M.

Hello N.,
I have not had that happen to my daughter. However, last year when she was 9 months old she ended up hospitalized for 3 days because she had bronchiolitis (bronchitis of the small air ways). If we would have taken her into the doctor the day before she would have been fine and just on antibiotics and a breathing treatment. I thought she was just being extra fussy, had a cold or was teething, so we didn't take her in. I just wanted to let you know you are not alone on diagnosing these little babies that can't tell us what hurts yet!
C.

Hi N.,

You should not feel bad for not understanding a medical sypmtom. Take it as a learning experience.

There are natural ways of addressing your babies needs such as drinking cleaning filtered water that cleans out the impurities so the kidneys do not have to, along with added nutrients to the water, filtered air so the lungs do not have to filter the the particles in the air, and whole food nutrients to assist her little body to help rebuild her immune system. You can also help her little body relax and sleep better on a magnetic pad.

I have found it really makes a difference putting your children in a healthier environment protects them from harmful toxins.

If you would like more info let me know.

N. Marie

Hi N.,

Please don't feel rotten. I had a kidney infection as an adult that probably started as a bladder infection. I was uncomfortable for two days and then wham-o I hurt so bad I could hardly walk and was hospitalized for three days. It never occurred to me to go to the doctor sooner, because I was merely uncomfortable. Every person is different.

Good luck!

that was on page 43,678 of your owner's manual ;)

Try not to be too hard on yourself - it's very hard to tell what's going on sometimes - even for medical professionals. Teething was definitely my fallback for unknown symptoms. Now with a 3 year old I chalk things up to growth spurts and watch closely.

I'm sure you're doing great. I wish a quick recovery to your daughter!

M.

I read this and wanted to let you know that a few years ago I had a bladder infection, but did not have any symptoms, but I did end up with a kidney infection, because the bladder infection traveled to the kidneys and went undetected. So, it is possible to have a bladder infection and not know, so don't feel too bad, because your daughter may not have been in any pain until it reached the kidney infection stage. Hope this helps.

Please don't feel bad. It happens, I have 2 children (15 & 4) and when my youngest was 2 he had a "tummy ache" that I put off as growing pains. One night he wouldn't sleep so I took him in and found out that his appendix was leaking. He was in surgery within 30 minutes of it being detected. We are human and kids don't come with instruction manuals. We do the best we can, and it sounds like she is doing well, so you are doing great!

Hi N.-

As mentioned in an earlier post, request to get a VCUG on your daughter! She shouldn't be having any UTI's and VU Reflux is a prime cause for UTI's. My daughter had many undiagnosed UTI's and it finally took switching to a new pediatrician to determine that she had a severe underlying kidney issue (Grade IV VU reflux). Unfortunatley, my daughter was 2 by the time she was diagnosed. I hate to think of the damage that was done during her first 2 years. The VCUG is a rotten exam (the child needs to be held down while a catheter with contrast material is injected into her urethra). The child must be awake during the procedure. The good news is that your daughter is young enough, she won't remember. The up side is that it's better to have a correct diagnosis than permanent kidney damage (my daughter now has Stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease). Good luck!
p.s. don't beat yourself up over this. At least they caught it 'early'!

I totally agree with Lara C. you should ask to have a VCUG done to make sure everything is ok. Don't feel about it, my daughter was only 6 weeks old when she had her first infection and the only reason I knew something was wrong was because she woke up with a fever of 104, she ended up in the hospital for about 8 days since they found out she had a bacteria in her blood. They did ton of test to find out why and they found that she only one kidney and that kidney had a reflux. Now a year later she just had surgery to correct it and is doing better still drinking antibiotic till a few months to let her kidney get better. So really don't feel bad but please have it checked out to make sure because a fever was the only symptom My daughter had.

First of all, your daughter can't tell you what body part hurts, or is uncomfortable and we don't expect infants to have bladder infections - so don't beat yourself up.

Because of your daughter's age, she may have uretal reflux - where the urine backs up from the bladder into the kidney. It is very common in girls and in most cases resolves itself and requires no treatment. You daughter is probably not wiping herself yet, so fecal matter getting into her urinary tract is possible, but not likely and bubble baths are not good for little girls.

Our daughter, now 9, had a kidney infection at 3 weeks and was diagnsosed with high grade uretal reflux that needed treatment. My brother is an urologist and said that the VCUG should be standard on any girl younger than 2 that presents with a bladder infection. Our dr ordered on as soon as the kidney infection was diagnosed via urine culture(on his own, my brother didn't call him).

It's worth a call to you doctor to see what they think.Too many kidney infections, while treatable, is not good.

just a quick note~ be sure to give her a round of probiotics after those antibiotics. go see a holistic doctor if you need more guidance.

You just made me feel 100% better. My 7month old daughter had a high fever for three days. I have been taking her to the doctor every day since but today I made them get a urine sample from her and she had puss in her urine. So it's a kidney infection. I had no idea she was in pain I also feel horrible! She is so happy all the time even with a 104 fever. Doctor gave me antibiotics hope this will make her better. ;) I also thought it was teething .

Hi N.,

I have some info to share about preventing future problems.

You can give your baby a nutritional juice drink called Genesis that is great for the kidneys and can also function as a natural antibacterial and antifungal agent. If you would like more information about the many health benefits of Genesis, you can call me and go to www.symmetrydirect.com/dhendon to check it out. I have spoken with a kidney specialist who highly regards this product for active kidney disease and many other health issues. One of the "miracle" molecules in it is called resveratrol. There is a lot of scientific evidence telling us about what resveratrol can do for us and this is the only antioxidant drink that has standardized it. Check it out!

Savings lives one ounce at a time,
D. Hendon
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