Toddler girls and UTI

skibunny59

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this and can offer some insight.  DD is 2.5 and is potty trained and she is on her second round of antibiotics for a UTI.  I brought her to the pedi because she would on and off complain that her "peepee hurt" since potty training in late June.  She didn't complain about it daily just every couple of days she would mention it to me.  She never had fever, backpain, pain while she was peeing, peeing more often, accidents, etc although sometimes she looked a little red down there. 

 Anyway,I brought her in and they did a urine sample and it came back positive for a UTI.  They put her on a round of antibiotics and we did a repeat urine sample and it came back positive again for a UTI but this time with a different bacteria present.  She's currently on her second round of antibiotics and the pedi is referring us to a urologist.  He is also ordering a renal ultrasound.  He also talked about a test the urologist might choose to do which involves a catheter and a dye.  I told him I am hesitant to do any invasive procedures since she's not showing me that she's in any real pain.  I'm just not sure why this keeps happening.  I notice she does wait very long to go.  Sometimes it will be 6-7 hours since she's last used the potty but I think it's because she doesn't want to stop what she's doing. 

skibunny59

tas1883 said:

My DD has UTI issues too. Things that I have found that have helped a lot.  Cranberry juice, it runs right through you so lots more peeing which helps keep away the bacteria.  Long warm baths no soap in the water.  DD tends to get large amount of yeast built up which causes her pee to hurt as there is all that extra bacteria so the baths help keep her clean as she prefers to shower most days.  Does you DD wipe herself or do you do it?  I found when DD started being completely in charge of cleaning herself after pee and poop at daycare that we started having more issues.  I just start doing all of these when she starts saying her pee hurts and it seems to fix things.  Personal experience with myself is that I always need 2 rounds of antibiotics to clean up a UTI.  I would also be very hesitant to go through extensive procedures without trying other things first.  You would hate for her to decide to hate the potty and not want to go which will just cause bigger problems down the road. 

I wipe her.  I wipe her just as I would wipe myself.  Maybe I should be getting up in there a little bit to clean her?  We also bathe every other night but maybe I should start having her just sit in a warm tub for a bit on non bath nights.

skibunny59

I'll try the cranberry juice also.  She just drinks milk and water right now and I'm always amazed by how long she can hold it.  I don't like to force her to pee because like you said I would hate for her to go backwards in potty training and not want to use the potty anymore.  DH says maybe it does hurt her to pee and that's why she puts off going potty for so long.  I think it's more because she doesn't want to stop playing to go pee.

Oh and during the week she is with my mom and my mom also wipes her so I don't think it's the wiping.

chloebeth930

I have to agree that I think that is way too long between potty visits.  DD is 2/5 as well.  She isn't the best liquid drinker, but she does go about every 3 hours or so.  If I notice we have hit the 3 hour mark and haven't gone potty in a while I will make her go in and try. No punishments if she doesn't go, but she just has to try (FWIW she ends up peeing even if she said she was ok to not go to the potty).

skibunny59

Ok.  Thanks ladies!  I will try making her go more often.  I do remind her to go potty or ask her if she needs to go if it's been awhile but I haven't tried forcing her.  She is very headstrong and independent but I probably do need to force her. 

As for drinking she does drink 3 full cups of milk a day and sips of water throughout the day.  I do wish she would drink more water. 

emberlee3

She needs to go potty every 2-3 hours. Make it part of her routine. Offer lots of water and moist foods. A referral to a urologist does not automatically mean invasive tests. But ignoring a real issue could lead to kidney problems. I would go to a urologist if pedi recommends it.