Healthytalk8 Urinary Tract Infection
Contents
Prevent UTIs in children by maintaining hygiene, wearing breathable clothes, drinking enough water, avoiding irritants things, etc
UTI is an infection type that affects different parts of the body including the bladder, kidney, urethra, and ureters.
It affects everyone, however mostly occurs in women, due to the short path of the urethra, so make sure to teach your babies proper hygiene.
The urinary tract is responsible for expelling waste, unwanted bacteria, and surplus liquid from our body.
UTI is caused by E.coli bacteria, which mostly happens due to not poor hygiene in children, and other several reasons in adults.
If UTI has already affected your baby, then you should consult your doctor, they will provide antibiotics that help with it.
The best method to avoid serious health issues is to stop the disease or illness before it becomes worse in further.
How to prevent UTIs in children, babies, and toddlers
Here are the top 8 expert Tips to Prevent UTIs In Children which include:
Maintain Genital Hygiene
Hygiene (whether it is private or public hygiene) is the best strategy to avoid UTIs in children and STIs in adults.
Here are how can you teach or maintain your baby’s genital hygiene:
- Change diapers frequently
- teach wipe from to back method (especially to girls)
- Avoid harsh soap and any other irritating items that irritate the private area
- Keep the area dry and clean by changing diapers frequently and underwear
- Don’t give bubble baths to children (especially girls) because it allows bacteria to enter in urethra
- For boys, gently pull back the foreskin when cleaning (6)
- Avoid bathing in warm water for a long time, because it can create a bacterial atmosphere
Teach your child how to clean themselves, and how to maintain overall hygiene, whether it is nails, teeth, private area, and other hygiene.
Teach why Staying Hydrated is Important
Do you know child, drinking enough water throughout the day can reduce the chance of UTI, by removing unwanted bacteria?
Teach your child, why staying hydrated is important, here is why drinking enough water is important to include:
- Prevent UTI in all ages
- Remove unwanted bacteria through urine
- glow your skin (7)
- prevent constipation
- keep healthy your cells, maintain blood volume, and prevent dehydration
- prevent kidney stones, bladder infections, etc
Why not? because our body is made up of 70% water.
Do you know what is dehydration? When there is a shortage of water in your body this condition is called dehydration, with signs such as:
- Increased thirst
- yellow urine
- weakness or dizziness
- decrease urination
- headache
- dry mouth
In addition, do not have caffeine, or coffee which may lead to discomfort in children and kidney issues also.
Encourage Potty Habits
The partner should tell their child about good potty habits which will help prevent UTIs such as:
- Tell them about poop things like any sign of blood, black, and poop shape, so tells their parents
- Make it a habit or schedule for children to get up in the morning and go to the potty
- don’t hold poop for a long time (5)
- Teach girls to clean the toilet seat before sitting, it will decrease the chance of spreading UTI
- Show boys how to pee to empty their bladder
- Encourage children to urinate often and not hold pee for a long time, children often hold their urine during school time.
- teach girls to wipe front to back method (where girls have to clean the front (urethra) to back to their (anus)
If you have any concerns regarding cleaning the genitals area, or abnormality poop like a change in colour, then should talk to your doctor.
Avoid Harsh Soap
Children’s skin is more sensitive than adults, so make sure to use specific soaps and shampoos to avoid further health issues.
Avoid harsh soap (less to irritation, and redness) and use clean water, make sure to do gentle cleaning.
Dress kids in Cotton Underwear
Wearing tight underwear is a person’s own choice, just make sure to avoid it for a long period of time, but why?
Because tight underwear makes it difficult for the genitals to breathe and prevents air circulation (which increases the infection risk) (3)
So make sure to dress your children with breathable underwear which will prevent bacteria growth by drying the area.
Avoid nylon and wear tight underwear, these cause uncomfortable in children.
Encourage them to consume Probiotic Food
Increase probiotics-rich foods like yogurt, cheese, milk, and other dairy products contain probiotics that help prevent UTIs.
Probiotics are healthy microorganisms that are good for our health and live in our gut.
Studies have shown that probiotics can be used to prevent UTIs in children and adults (7).
Treat Constipation
Constipation in children and infants occurs when they have hard stools or have problems passing stools.
Breastfeeding your baby for 6 to 1 year can help make their immune system strong, which will reduce the risk of health issues.
You can treat it at home easily, by giving them high-fibre content food including:
- Pears
- apple
- spinach
- peaches
- plums
For instant relief, massage in the abdomen and stationary cycling may help in this.
In addition, treatment is based on the age of the child and how severe the problem is. Usually, no special test is required.
In most cases, antibiotics help with it.
Seek Medical Help
If you see any discomfort and any sign of infection in your child, then you should consult a professional paediatrician.
But how partners check that their baby needs medical help here are:
- Cannot pass urine
- blood in poop and urine
- stomach pain for a long time
- daytime or nighttime wetting
- pain during urination
- unpleasant smell or change in urine color
- having a fever that comes and goes frequently
In addition, children’s skin is more sensitive and their immune systems are weakened, so you should monitor their signs.
Down Line
Maintaining overall hygiene, staying hydrated, and wiping from to back method best ways to prevent UTIs in children.
If you already experiencing UTI, then you should consult a professional doctor, who will examine you and give you proper treatment.
UTI affect all individuals, but mostly occurs in women, due to the shorter urethra (a pipe that connects the kidney to the bladder)
