Infant Diagnosed With UTI, E.coli Present. Does It Kill Children? Why Is Urine Still Smelly?

Posted on Mon, 10 Sep 2012

Question: Hello! I wanted to check for a second opinion regarding our toddler girl who is 1y and 10m old. Last month she was diagnosed a urinary tract infection, urine cult vast done and e.coli found. She was given antibiotics, the urine sample became much better. Some 10 days ago she started to wet her pants again, we gave her the cranberry juice, peeing became OK and extracts and another urine cult was peformed. The doctor said that the e.coli is still present but in a small quantity and she would not do anything untill the next urine cult in a two weeks time. Meanwhile we have read quite some horrible stories in the internet regarding the e.coli as it is supposed to even kill children. Today my wife said that daughters urine was a little smelly as well. Should we be much worried or is this normal practice under the circumstances? We also read about the d-mannose, would that really help?

With best regards
XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Rajiv goel (51 minutes later)

Hi,
Thanks for posting your query.
A urinary tract infection in a small child mandates detailed workup of the child. There is a possibility that the infection can cause scarring in the kidneys and cause permanent damage to the kidneys.
She needs to be treated with appropriate antibiotics. Further, she needs to consult an urologist who can perform an evaluation and order certain investigations like an ultrasound of the kidney-ureter-bladder region. Once she has been adequately appropriated and her urine reports are normal, she should undergo a micturating cystourethrogram (MCU) under the cover of antibiotic.
Cranberry juice and D mannose are all fine but we first need to find out the causative agent of UTI and hence all the investigations that I have mentioned above need to be done.
I hope I have answered your query.
I will be available for follow up queries.
Regards

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Aparna Kohli