Urinary Tract Infection on 8 Mo ?

I just went through a very similar experience with my 2 year old who was having recurrent UTIs one after another, she even got one while already on antibiotics. Anyway, when the results come back from the urine culture you will know for sure whether or not she has a UTI. The ultrasound will look to see if there is any communication going on between her ureters and other body parts, like intestine or her umbilical artery. If it does come back as a UTI you may want to request a VCUG. This is an x-ray procedure where a catheter is inserted and a contrast dye is then injected into your daughter's urinary tract. Then an x-ray is taken as your daughter pees to see if the valves in her ureters are functioning properly, or if they are allowing urine to back up into her kidneys. The most uncomfortable part of the procedure is the insertion of the catheter, and she may also feel a little uncomfortable when her bladder is full of the contrast, but once she pees it will be all better. (We just went through this procedure last week on my daughter) The ultrasound will not be able to tell you if her urinary system is functioning properly,which is why I suggest the VCUG. The ultrasound can only look at her organs and see if they look correct.
One other thing, does your daughter seem to have pain in her low back, I know it's hard to tell in such a little one. The tip off to my 2 year olds UTI was that she complained that her back hurt and was walking around hunched over with her hands on her back like a little old lady, poor thing. Anyway, the kidneys are located in the lower back, so if she has pain there I would think her kidneys are involved. That doesn't mean anything drastic is happening, just confirms infection really.

Hang in there, and get everything checked until you feel comfortable with the diagnosis.

Hi M.,
Is the fever the main/only symptom? You mentioned that she is not eating as much and is gagging and not nursing as much...has she by any chance been constipated? Is she acting very lethargic and has no energy and is kind of "floppy" (like her head lolls about, etc.) I really doubt this is happening to her but when you said she'd lost her appetite I had to ask because if she has the symptoms I've described above, and keeps getting weaker and weaker and remains constipated, ask a Dr. to check if she has infant botulism...my 7-month-old daughter had it and lost her appetite, couldn't nurse, etc., but I don't remember her having a fever with it...so it is probably not the problem...hope she is better soon--best of luck with everything. Shirl H.

Hi M. -

When your daughter was running a fever, was she taking in much fluids? She could have been dehydrated and that is why there was only a small amount of urine when they put in a catheter. If she has a kidney infection, the antibiotics could actually make it worse. If you are interested in a natural alternative, you can try Nettles. They don't have any contraindications for children and they support the kidneys and urinary tract system. You can use the fresh/dried herb and make a tea or purchase it in tincture/extract form. The normal dosage for a 150 lb. adult would be 1 cup of tea 3 times a day or 1 dropperful of tincture/extract 3 times a day. To determine how much to give your daughter, take her weight and divide it into 150. That will tell you what percentage of the above dosage you can give to your daughter.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Blessings,

M. M. Ernsberger
Certified Herbalist

I would trust you feelings if you feel something is wrong I would take her to a pediatric ER. sounds like your MD doesn't know what's wrong. My son had a very high fever when he was 3 months old and I called the Dr and he said just to treat with Tylenol. I took him to the ER because I felt it was something more turns out he had meningitis and spent 10 days in the hospital. if I had not gone with my gut my son probably would not be here today. Remember you are her mom and you now what's bests go with you gut.

My daughter had the same problem as an infant/toddler. After 3 UTI's in a span of a year and half the dr. finally did an ultrasound and a VCUG (like an xray of the kidneys - they put a catheter in, pump in fluid via an IV to fill bladder, then as bladder empties they watch to make sure the fluid isn't backing up into the kidneys). Thankfully, everything was okay. She hasn't had a UTI since. The dr. said it's not as unusual as most people think for babies to get UTI's, and the cause is varied (my daughter just seems to be very sensitive to everything). The best advice I have is to make sure you keep your daughter well hydrated so she's urinating regularly to flush out her bladder. Because my daughter was already over 1 year old when she started getting them we were able to give her lots of water and cranberry juice (diluted a bit so not so bitter). She still has a glass of cranberry juice everyday to help prevent UTIs. The other advice the dr. gave us was no bubble baths, and rinse the vaginal area very well after washing, and use unscented soaps and wipes for cleaning the area, remember to wipe front to back only. She only takes showers now - no sit down baths.
You might also want to experiment with different types of diapers - sensitivities to chemicals in some brands may irritate delicate areas, leading to infection.
When your daughter starts potty training you'll want to be certain to train her to wipe correctly from front to back.

Good luck,
M.

Please have her checked for VUR. My daughter has it and is on antibiotic therapy. She used to get frequent UTI's and it always started with a high fever. I know this is kinda gross, but do you notice odd or foul smelling urine? That was my other clue of infection. VUR is a reflux of the urethral tubes to the kidneys and is fairly common. Do some research and see if the symptoms match. Good luck. Hope she is better soon.

K.

I agree with the other respondant.... trust your gut - go to another dr for a 2nd or 3rd opinion or go to urgent care. It seems like it's been going on too long.
Best of luck and big hugs to you. :)

I dont have any specific to share, other than you're not alone! My sister's 5 week old little girl had to be taken in for UTI. She is on a low-dose antibiotic regimen to prevent any reoccurence (now 3 months old). And my husband's neice recently had surgery (she's about 8yo?) and a neighor friend of ours before we moved here also had this problem. In girls, sometimes the valve or whatever to prevent urine from backtracking isn't quite developed enough. Sometimes they outgrow it, sometimes they need surgery to fix it.
Find out if it is that, then go ahead with the antibiotics to prevent a problem as it can become infected for a while without symptoms then by the time you find it, it may have spread to the kidneys, which can cause permanent damage.

Hugs to you and your little girl!!!

Hi M.- My daughter is 3, but had an unexplained fever when she was around 1 and we took her in. They did a catheter and got a urine sample. The procedure is not pleasant for the child and they may be "holding" their urine from that discomfort which may not allow it to pass out. Then my daughter urinated once they took it out. Same scenario you explained. It is common to do this with females because of the risk of getting bacteria in the urethra. They gave her medication and called us with the results, which were negative. It may or may not be a urinary tract infection, but either way it is treatable and taken care of with antibiotics. It just hurts us as mommies because our kids are so little and helpless. Aside from the first month or 2, call the doc if your child ever has a fever of 102. 5 or higher. Give Tylenol and watch to see if the fever drops within 15-20 minutes.

Remember, you're the mom, and if you feel uneasy, call the doc or go to the urgent care. No matter the time of day or night. They are there to assist you and get paid very well for it.