Protein/ketones in daughter's urine

[MamOfTwo]

DD2(4) has been having frequent accidents at school so I took her to doctor on Friday to rule out a urine infection. A dip test there found protein so the GP asked us to repeat test on Monday - one for nurses to dip and one to be sent off to lab. After an anxious few days, the receptionist has just told me results from lab are satisfactory but I think she said nurses found traces of ketones. I am a bit confused: are ketones and protein the same thing? She has shown no other symptoms. Just freaking out as convinced myself she had kidney disease and now diabetes - stupid Google...

[Ammv]

Hi, if you're worried go back to your gp. If you're little one had diabetes they would also have found glucose in the urine. Best to go back to your gp or ask for a telephone consultation to alleviate your fears xx

[ShaHal125]

They found ketones in my tests when I was pregnant. The midwife asked if I'd eaten that day, I hadn't an she said that's why. Could that be the case with your daughter?

[MamOfTwo]

Thanks for replies. She had eaten but was possibly a bit dehydrated?

[SweetTeaVodka]

Ketones are present in urine when the body is breaking down stored fat to use as and energy source. The usual cause for this is that the patient hasn't been eating and/or drinking as much, or has been vomiting. As such, lots of under the weather children have ketones in their urine! It's nothing to worry about, and as soon as you rDD had enough to eat and drink the ketones in her wee will have stopped.

It's true that it does appear in the urine in diabetes mellitis, but for this to be the case for your daughter there would have also been glucose in the urine. Both the nurse and the lab would have picked this up and further testing would be arranged if this was the case.

Ketones are the end product of fat metabolism, proteins in urine are a separate thing, and can indicate a few different things - commonly in my experience as a paediatric nurse it is kidney infections, HSP, nephrotic syndrome and even more commonly - contamination of the sample, such as from the collection method. That's why they ask for repeat samples and get one checked out by the lab. If there wasn't any protein in the other samples, it was probably contamination.

[MamOfTwo]

Thank you SweetTeaVodka - that is a very helpful and informative post.

[LifesTooShortYOLO]

MamOfTwo I realise this is a very old thread but I was hoping you pile let me know what the outcome was with your DD urine results having protein In it please?
DS has just done a sample and it has protein in it I have to re do another one tomorrow and drop to doctors. He didn't seem concerned but I'm freaking out and worrying myself silly he now has some sort of kidney disease 😭