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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

6th/7th UTI five year old has had in roughly nine months.

39 replies

Popcorn100 · 30/07/2021 23:00

Hi all,

Any experience with the above please?

We had an ultrasound and all was clear but was wondering what the next steps were. Will contact doctor to be referred to child’s urologist.

Thank you!

OP posts:
Jellycatspyjamas · 30/07/2021 23:06

My DD had repeated UTIs fir a long time, she was seen by urology and they did some tests including scans of her kidneys just to check. It’s not unusual for small children because everything is so close down there and it’s easy to transfer bacteria when wiping bottoms etc but always worth getting checked out to be on the safe side.

Original poster
Popcorn100 · 30/07/2021 23:13

Thank you for your reply. Has she grown out of them. What tests did she have?

Thank you.

OP posts:
MaxNormal · 30/07/2021 23:16

Have a look at giving her d mannose powder, seems to work very well for some people as a preventative as it stops e coli bacteria adhering to the bladder walls.

Theluggage15 · 30/07/2021 23:16

My daughter had repeated UTIs when she was little. There was nothing wrong with her kidneys or anything else. She had an ultrasound, then some sort of radioactive dye so they could see how it moved round her system and a voiding scan which showed how she emptied her bladder.

She was just prone to UTIs and we were told by the consultant that she would grow out of them. They grew less frequent and then disappeared. She had a standing prescription for antibiotics, as soon as she had symptoms, I would phone up and collect, didn’t need to see doctor.

Haveyoubrushedyourteeth · 30/07/2021 23:19

I can't say what the next steps are as we managed to get to the bottom of the cause just after we had the ultrasound, so not sure if this is helpful, but for our dd it was a combination of things that seemed to cause them.

You've probably tried all these, but if not we went back to non bio washing powder and did an extra rinse, changed from aloe Vera toilet roll, and stopped her wiping her own bottom.

When she was at school we taught her to pat with loo roll rather than wipe (she only did wees there) because she wasn't able to do front to back properly, and at home we did it for her every time she'd been to the loo.

I hope you get to the bottom of it, it's horrible to see them unwell.

toughdaay · 30/07/2021 23:20

My DD had a few months where she had repeated UTIs. She was a bit younger, probably 3 or 4. She had a scan and was diagnosed with a problem with one of her kidneys. She had antibiotics for six months and she hasn't had a problem since. She's reviewed once a year now and they will make a decision when she's a bit older as to whether it needs surgery or not.

vdbfamily · 30/07/2021 23:24

My youngest was pretty much born with a UTI. She was hospitalised at 7 weeks and was very ill. She had months of investigations and was diagnosed with vesicouretal reflux. She had 3 ops over a few years to try and prevent the tribe going back up her uretas into her kidneys and was on daily antibiotics for several years. She is now 14 and her kidneys look like potatoes on a scan from lots of scarring but function almost within normal range. I am pretty sure to pick it up they have to inject some radioactive stuff and then scan as child wees to see what comes out and if any goes back up towards kidneys. If it keeps happening I would ask them to investigate further but encourage her to drink plenty & wee often and keep clean.

DentonsFringeArnottsWaistcoat · 30/07/2021 23:36

Oh god yes, DD1 had them so often and was hospitalised a few times with UTIs on IV antibiotics. Despite scans etc, never got to the bottom of it, nothing obvious and after age 7 she suddenly seemed to grow out of them. No ongoing issues. So stressful at the time though. You both have our sympathy Flowers

blahblahblah2000 · 30/07/2021 23:40

Yes my daughter had so many UTI and had scans etc - she ended up on preventative antibiotics for 2 years then stopped around 6? Then has never had a UTI since and is now 14 so she did grow out of it.

Original poster
Popcorn100 · 31/07/2021 00:01

Thank you so much for your replies. It really is worrying as you feel helpless.

Will push for a referral. She has literally only had them in the last 9 months so really hoping she grows out of them. Not sure why they have started all of a sudden. We do the usual as in shower rather than baths, only drinks water throughout the day, cotton knickers and are boiled, we wipe her bottom etc.

When she gets them, she is fine in herself.

Is the test with the dye painful for them? Will look into it. Hopefully will get a referral on Monday.

Thank you!

OP posts:
Original poster
Popcorn100 · 31/07/2021 00:02

Wouldn’t the ultrasound show up any issues??

OP posts:
NotTodaySatanNotToday · 31/07/2021 00:03

@MaxNormal

Have a look at giving her d mannose powder, seems to work very well for some people as a preventative as it stops e coli bacteria adhering to the bladder walls.
Have you used D-mannose? Does it help? After googling to find a way to help my recurrant uti's I bought some as well as some probiotics esp for women. I would love to hear if you had success using it.

Sorry for crashing your thread @Popcorn100, hope you get to the bottom of it asap. Does your dd like cranberry juice? Maybe try her on a small glass daily to see if it helps? Also lactobacillus rhamnosus is supposed to help to (its 1 of the ingredients in my probiotic for women) the NHS website recommends d-mannose for recurrent infections too so might be worth asking her Dr about it.

MaxNormal · 31/07/2021 08:25

@NotTodaySatanNotToday I've never managed to actually shift an active UTI with it but some people say they have.

I take it twice daily as a preventative and that seems to work.

I would say why not, aside from expense, as its harmless. Its a non digestible sugar so it you overdo it it can cause wind but thats it.

Cranberry can irritate sensitive bladders so I'd be more reluctant to try that and a small child wouldn't find the proper unsweetened stuff palatable I don't think, its incredibly bitter tasting.

birdling · 31/07/2021 08:37

I'm sure this isn't the case here, but just to remind you all that repeated UTI infections in girls can be a sign of sexual abuse.

cultkid · 31/07/2021 08:38

Is she small by any chance?

I had this and both my kidneys are very scarred

I have two ureters on one side

I don't have any kidney function problems at all and never did but I did have an issue when I was pregnant

wearenearlythere1 · 31/07/2021 08:48

Does she have any issues with constipation? That can often cause uti's

Original poster
Popcorn100 · 31/07/2021 09:02

She doesn’t generally suffer from constipation but I have heard that can cause them. Thanks all. She is drinking lots of water. As it is the weekend, I don’t want to wait until Monday so will try and ring out of hours for antibiotics if needed (which I definitely think she needs).

Thank you .

OP posts:
Redlorryellow · 31/07/2021 11:31

I had this as a kid and it continued til my 20s… even if I didn’t have a uti I’d often get symptoms, I think my kidneys/bladder have scarring from the repeated infections. Definitely worth getting this sorted the earlier the better, it could save her a lot of suffering in future. I ended up with health anxiety and vaginismus related to it. I don’t really get utis now but I do still get symptoms if I don’t keep very well hydrated.

NotTodaySatanNotToday · 31/07/2021 12:24

@MaxNormal thank you. I'm not going to start it until I've finished my.antibiotics. was hoping it might help stopping the recurrent infections or at least stop them from developing into kidney infections as I don't usually get uti symptoms. This one was only diagnosed due to a urine sample sent to lab due to sharp pains in my stomach.

shouldistop · 31/07/2021 12:27

I'm sure this isn't the case here, but just to remind you all that repeated UTI infections in girls can be a sign of sexual abuse.

I was going to say this too.

LemonRoses · 31/07/2021 12:30

She doesn't need a referral yet unless ultrasound was abnormal.

NICE guidance
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg54/chapter/Recommendations#diagnosis

MaxNormal · 31/07/2021 12:34

@NotTodaySatanNotToday oh you poor thing, I hope you feel better soon. It would be safe enough to start just now if you want to, and might help things not re-occur as they sometimes can post-antibiotics unfortunately.

I prefer Waterfall D-mannose as I trust the quality, but they are not the cheapest.

Rainallnight · 31/07/2021 12:35

Following, OP, as my DD has started having recurring UTIs. She’s also five.

She suffers from chronic constipation so that’s a clear possible cause. But she’s had difficulties with constipation almost since birth and the UTIs have come on very suddenly.

I’ve upped her fluid intake massively, using a star chart to get her to have 1.5 litres of fluid a day (which she’s supposed to be doing anyway for her constipation). I’m hoping that helps.

She vomits and gets really severe abdominal pain when she has a UTI so I’m very keen to get it sorted.

Best of luck to you Flowers

MomOfTwoGirls2 · 31/07/2021 13:04

DD1 has regular UTIs as a young child. Eventually she was referred to a urologist.

The scan with the dye showed up a problem with a bladder valve. (VUR). She was put on preventative daily antibiotics. She was monitored for a few years and it resolved itself as she got older. She had not had a UTI since.

I would definitely look for a referral to a urologist to get it fully checked out. It might turn out that she is just prone to UTI without any underlying cause. But I think it is important to get it fully checked out.

Original poster
Popcorn100 · 31/07/2021 14:33

Thank you for all your replies.

Did your daughter have an ultra scan first and if so, was it clear before she had the scan with the dye? Am glad your daughter has grown out of it and is fine now.

OP posts: